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For Corein Brown, thanksgiving is more than a holiday celebrated each year. As an Echo apprentice catechetical leader and graduate theology student at Notre Dame University in South Bend, IN Corein sees her response to Jesus’ call to discipleship as “living a thankful life.” Her journey has led her to a variety of places and introduced her to people from a wide range of cultures. Now serving at St. Raphael the Archangel Parish, Manchester, she shares some of who she is and what she is learning along the way.

Where are you getting your preparation and studying for your degree?
Echo – Faith Formation Leadership Program part of the Center for Catechetical Initiatives through the University of Notre Dame.

For our preparation to work in ministry the program focuses on both academic formation and professional-ministerial formation. To ensure academic formation participants pursue a M.A. in Theology from the University of Notre Dame by studying at Notre Dame during the summer and taking online courses during the fall and spring semesters. Participants work with a mentor for two years, August-May, in a parish setting to gain professional-ministerial formation.

Where do you currently serve as a catechetical leader?
St. Raphael Parish – Manchester, NH

One interesting personal fact:
After receiving my B.A. in Communication Studies from New Mexico State University in 2003 I have had the joy and challenge of traversing the U.S. numerous times living and working in Massachusetts, North Carolina, Colorado, Indiana, and now New Hampshire. I have worked as a caseworker in a homeless shelter, a campus minister and community service coordinator at a college, a barista and baker at a coffee shop, and finally as a students and catechetical leader. I have enjoyed traveling and meeting so many great people but I am really looking forward to staying in one place for awhile!

As an apprentice catechetical leader, what has started to become clearer to you about this ministry?
Just how varied the responsibilities and roles are within catechetical ministry. In a week you can be a part of many different ministries and programs from singing with little kids, discussing new ideas within bereavement ministry, sharing with the adult faith formation group about morality issues, or working on creative activities to teach high school students about Catholic Social Teaching. I love it because while it is challenging to navigate the different roles I never get bored and I am always surprised how God teaches me through so many different people and situations.

What does being a disciple of Jesus mean to you?
Living a thankful life. We live in a world that tells us we should be dissatisfied with what we have and the only way to alleviate this dissatisfaction is by acquiring more. As Christians we are called to live differently and one way to do this is to be thankful for what we have and to let that thankfulness be a driving force in our lives. I may not have everything I want but I know that God has given me so many amazing gifts including waking me up this morning and giving me another day to live, learn, and celebrate. Through living a thankful life hopefully I will be able to minister to others more fully, being grateful for the people God puts in my life each day and not being consumed by my own desires and wants.

How did you become interested in (or what attracted you to) catechetical ministry?
God has given us such a beautiful gift through His Son. We have become daughters and sons of the Father, sisters and brothers of Christ, and through the strength and grace of the Holy Spirit we are given the ability to join in the work of God. I was attracted to catechetical ministry because I wanted to live the call of Christ. To live fully for Him and share the message of His love, teaching what that love means concretely in our lives. I hope that through my life and ministry I can model Christ’s love and work as part of our Catholic community to call others to live a life where Christ is central.

What is the one aspect about ministry in the Church that you value the most?
One aspect of ministry in the Church that I value is the presence of community and how we are called to journey and celebrate with others especially through the sacraments. It is such a beautiful privilege to be invited to be a part of the lives of so many through the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Reconciliation and Communion. And likewise to be present to people in their sickness and in death, to be invited to continue to walk with others through struggles and pain. We are so blessed that both friends and strangers would come to the Church in moments of joy and crisis and I am so grateful and humbled that I am allowed to be a part of these moments in their lives.

Learn more about the ECHO - Faith Formation Leadership Program