July 2, 2010
People of Faith
Youth of today special to ‘Sister T’
BY STEVE HALBIG
The People of Faith feature is compiled by Steve Halbig, who asks a series of questions of people of the diocese — some who have reached the “age of wisdom” and some who are younger. All will share stories of faith.
This People of Faith segment focuses on Benedictine Sister Teresa Gunter, 43, the youth minister at St. Anthony Church in Evansville. See what she has to say.
What is the best part of your job? I think the best part is just hanging out with the youth of today and letting them be themselves and them allowing me to be myself. Then in that exchange, God is present and we talk about life, joys and pains, share dreams and concerns and in those moments, I feel like I’m the most blessed person in the world.
What is the hardest part of your job? I think the hardest is watching my kids struggle with the pressures that are placed on them. The expectation to be the best, the smartest, the strongest and fastest, the prettiest and the skinniest is so hard on our youth. It’s hard to watch them go through their first heartache, their parent’s separations and wrong choices. To see them struggling and not be able to help, but only watch them and pray that they choose to get back up.
Who has been a big influence in your life? This was a hard one to answer, because there are several. I have to say my parents who taught my siblings and myself not to give up; then I have the Sisters in my community who always start their day with prayer, and I can’t forget the youth that I’ve worked with who have taught me to be flexible and remind me that everything will work out.
Who do you consider to be the best role models today? Those that accept themselves as the person that God has created them to be. People who use their gifts for others and to see their possibilities as endless.
Describe how your faith helped you through a difficult time in your life: I think my faith helps me the most when unexpected things happen that I don’t have any control over. Someone is diagnosed with cancer, a young person dies in an accident, or someone loses their job. These are things that I can’t fix and the only thing I can do is rely on my faith, to know that God is in control and it is part of God’s will.
Do you have any hobbies? How do you stay active? I love to watch movies, kind of “veg out” for a while. Disney and Pixar movies and comedies are my favorites. I’m a Youth Minister, so staying active is an unwritten clause in my job description. Camping, hiking, ultimate Frisbee and other youth activities keep me moving.
What do you like most about being Catholic? I love the tradition of being Catholic. I am hours away from my family, yet we are hearing the same readings and celebrating the same Eucharist. I love that I can go anywhere in the world, and I might not understand the language, but I know exactly what is going on. When to sit, stand, kneel and say “Amen.”
Of those things that are possible to change in the Catholic Church, what would you change? I would listen to and empower all laity of the Church to take a more active role in their faith. I would encourage people to have an open mind on the issues that we are facing and work together on the solutions.
If you could make one change in your community, what would it be? That everyone would open their homes to those who do not have a place to sleep. That there would not be the fear of opening our hearts to total strangers. That we would see each other as our brother and sister.
Any regrets in life? A couple.
What do you do in your spiritual life that you would recommend to others? St. Benedict says that you should always pray before you begin any good work, and I seem to be always working on the next activity, so I’m always praying that whatever I’m working on, it will come to a good work. So I would recommend that whatever you are about, that you pray that God brings it to fruition, whether that is your family, your marriage, your ministry or your vocation, and that you just bring it before God.
What is your best wisdom on life? Be the first to apologize, clean up your mess, and try to love unconditionally.
Contact Steve at shalbig@evdio.org