Four years of study, fellowship, and prayer led three women to the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Richmond, on June 15. It was there that Bishop Barry C. Knestout commissioned Kelly Bruno, Felimar Guzman, and Diane Lohr as lay ecclesial ministers, the highest level of diocesan recognition available to lay leaders. And it was no easy feat.
The women completed a rigorous academic and spiritual program through the diocesan Lay Ecclesial Ministry Institute (LEMI). This program allows candidates to learn more about the Catholic faith through degree programs, spiritual retreats, and workshops. Candidates have the unique opportunity to earn academic degrees and certificates from several Catholic universities across the country by taking classes at a subsidized cost. Participants are then able to put their knowledge into action throughout their communities.
“Our hope is that the commissioned lay ecclesial ministers will serve their communities, parishes, and the diocese at an even higher level with the benefit of the LEMI formation,” explained Tracy Brookmire, associate director of the diocesan Office of Christian Formation.
“Within their positions in the Diocese of Richmond, they will continue to be effective leaders in their communities and conscientiously, zealously, and diligently share the joy of the good news of Jesus Christ,” she added.
The entrance antiphon at the start of Mass was 1 Corinthians 12:4-6: “There are different graces but the same Spirit, different ministries but the same Lord, different works but the same God, who accomplishes everything in everyone.” It was a fitting welcome for three ladies from three backgrounds, serving the Church in different ways.
‘Where I found my strength’
Growing up, Kelly Bruno was not strong in her faith. She went through the motions of being Catholic, receiving the sacraments of baptism, reconciliation, and the Eucharist, but didn’t attend Mass or pray regularly. It wasn’t until her father was dying of cancer that she felt called back to the Church.
“A lot of people move away from God during these times, but I was drawn,” she said. “It’s where I found my strength to get through it. I don’t know how I would have managed my life without God in it.”
That spark of renewed faith turned into a flame, and she started volunteering at Prince of Peace, Chesapeake. When her daughter was old enough to attend Christian formation classes, Bruno volunteered to teach them. Youth ministry became a passion of hers, one that she’s still committed to today.
She created a peer ministry group for older teens and young adults to stay active in the parish through Bible study, social gatherings, and community service. As society tends to pull youth away from the Church, Bruno wants them to still feel connected.
“Even if they leave, I hope they carry Jesus in their hearts and find their way back,” she said.
After four years of study through LEMI, she earned her master’s degree in theology from St. Leo University. Her most challenging class was her final one, focusing on the synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
She explained that instead of just reading the Gospels, the class had to examine the cultural and political climate of the time and translate it to our lives today, something she called “eye opening.” It challenged her to examine Catholicism in ways she never had before, and she was able to bring that knowledge back to her students.
She also relished the retreats – not just for the camaraderie they offered, but for the silence.
“They give you the time to sit quietly, to pray, to really find that connection with God,” said Bruno. “It gives you that silence that we normally don’t have where we can let go of the outside world. It’s invigorating and energizing.”
‘Part of a community’
Felimar Guzman grew up anchored by the Church. Her family never missed Mass, the day always ended in prayer, and everyone was involved in parish life, with several relatives ordained as members of the clergy. After moving to Virginia Beach from Guam in 1998, Guzman became very active in her parish, St. Mark, Virginia Beach, even labeling herself “a professional volunteer.”
“I love being involved in the Church because I get to be a part of a community coming together and serving each other,” Guzman explained. “Being together as a Church community not only pours blessings upon those who are there, but the gathering is also a natural witness of God’s goodness to the world.”
Guzman was drawn to youth ministry, and became a volunteer catechist in 2000. Over the years, she took on more responsibility in the parish and now serves as the director of religious education and youth minister.
After applying and being accepted to the LEMI program, Guzman was excited to learn more about her faith – and herself. She has earned certificates in youth ministry and catechesis from University of Dayton and is working on her master’s degree in theology from St. Leo University. In addition to her classes, Guzman has greatly enjoyed the conferences and workshops she has taken part in and hopes to attend many more in the future. However, the retreats hold a special place in her soul.
“The spiritual retreats gave me a deeper sense of aliveness and interconnectedness, not just through a sacred and transcendent perspective, but also through human relationships,” she said. “Those retreats were like my rest and self-care, refilling my empty cup, allowing me to effectively serve my ministry, my parish, and my family.”
‘Journey in faith’
Diane Lohr is another mom-turned-catechist, but she’s also a Lutheran-turned-Catholic. Raised in the Lutheran Church, she was active in her church as a teenager. When she went away to college, she started attending Mass at a local Catholic church with friends she had met in school. “That started my journey in the Catholic faith,” she recalled.
She converted to Catholicism and has been a longstanding member of Resurrection, Moneta, now serving as the coordinator of adult faith formation.
She started teaching Christian formation classes when her children began attending and never looked back. Over the years, Lohr has served Catholics of all ages through Christian formation, Vacation Bible School, adult Bible study, and adult faith formation. Children whom she taught about the Eucharist and confirmation are now married with children of their own – a new generation for her to teach.
She has also sat on the parish council and served as a reader, usher, and extraordinary minister of Holy Communion. Her favorite role is that of catechist, which is what she focused on in her studies. Through LEMI, Lohr earned Catechesis Levels I and II Certificates from the University of Dayton.
“The classes not only further my knowledge of Scripture, sacraments, prayer, and moral and ethical issues, they also offered me tools on how to be a better catechist and leader,” she explained. “I have put these skills to use not only in the classroom but also on the parish council.”
Discipleship ‘not an easy A’
The diocese’s newest lay ecclesial ministers will return to their respective parishes, ministering in different ways to different people, but they will always be connected by what they learned through LEMI. While they each recognize the significance of their commissioning, they also realize that their faith journey is far from over. In some ways, it is only beginning.
In his homily, Bishop Knestout said, “The cost of discipleship is great. It’s not an ‘easy A.’ It is demanding and calls us continually to draw close to the Lord, the power of the Spirit, in prayer, in sacrament, to offer our lives in total self-sacrifice in imitation of Christ on behalf of our brothers and sisters.”
“Those who have been commissioned today, in accepting this commission, you are accepting a great challenge: to go further than the minimum of the Christian life; to seek generosity of spirit and devotion to service to the Church,” the bishop continued.
“As you are commissioned as lay ecclesial ministers, know that the grace of God is given to you in abundance, and the whole Church prays for you and supports you,” he said.
To learn more about the LEMI program, please visit https://richmonddiocese.org/office/lemi/.