by Katie Vasquez
After a year of studying Catholicism, Linda Roman is embracing a newfound faith.
It’s something she’s always wanted since she was a little girl.
“I always kind of reached for it and would ask my mother and kind of bug her and act like, hey, why don’t we go? and then my father growing up always instilled the importance to me of prayer. and he would say, you know, if you are ever in trouble or if you ever need anything, you can always pray,” said Roman.
Her parents never took her to church but prayers surrounded her life.
And in March of 2023 she would rely on them more than she ever had before, her father had been diagnosed with liver cancer.
“I figure, like, this is the hardest thing I will ever have to do. and i didn’t know how i was going to get through it. I was really worried, very stressed out. I felt very much alone,” said Roman.
He passed away only 2 months later, leaving her with one final wish before returning to the lord.
“We did speak about religion a lot at the end, but I think for sure his last dying wish was to make sure that his kids were okay. And I think this was one of those ways of having him make sure that we were okay,” said Roman.
Unsure of how to proceed, she turned to her best friend, Maria Molina, for guidance.
Maria was getting confirmed and returning to church around the same time.
“It felt great, because honestly, my faith wasn’t as strong as it is now. so it was when she said, yeah, let’s do it. and i was like, it was kind of weird for me at first. I was like, okay, I guess like, let’s do it. but I was more excited than anything,” said Molina.
The pair started attending mass at Holy Child Jesus church in Richmond Hill.
“I feel like a bond has gotten a little stronger than anything. So it’s like, even though we don’t see each other towards the week, I feel like we look forward to Sunday more than anything because we get to go to church,” said Molina.
Last year Maria was fully initiated into the church.
This year, it’s Linda’s turn.
She has gone through OCIA, or order of christian initiation of adults, and she just took part in the rite of election, a time-honored tradition where the church confirmed she’s ready to be baptized at the Easter vigil.
“When we first did the mass here at our parish and we’re lining up waiting to sign the book, I got really emotional. so i don’t know. I don’t know how baptism is going to go. I might also get emotional,” said Roman.
And she can’t wait to fully enter the faith, because she knows she has guardian angels guiding her.
“I feel like it brings me closer to those that I have that I’ve lost being my grandmother, my grandfather and my father,” said Roman. “So I know he’ll be there. I feel his love every time I’m in the church.”