Pillars of a Life-Changing Internship

I never used to mark my life in terms of summers, good or bad. I've been accustomed for the last several years, through working a year-round job, to treat the summer as an ordinary period of time like any other, marked only by the increase in heat and the routine descent of wildfire smoke on the city. The travel and special events I undertook tended not to stray far from the norm I experienced throughout the rest of the year.

Suffice it to say, this internship with the Gregory the Great Institute changed my perception wildly. Not since I graduated high school has a summer of mine been so demarcated from the rest of my year, and in such various, exhilarating and (dare I say) life-altering ways. It wasn't like having an average summer job; it almost felt like being on mission.

Tentpoling the last three months of my life have been: extraordinary events outlining service, outreach, education and edification; an ebb and flow of fast-paced administration and planning, counterbalanced by abundant creative expression and concrete deference to prayer and rest in the workplace; personal milestones of self-knowledge and growth, including one or two intellectual and spiritual epiphanies already profoundly affecting my life and my view of the world; and four new friends, my fellow interns, whom I will cherish for the rest of my life.

These are the concrete pillars that have turned my summer into a grand pavilion, standing apart from every summer before it. I'm gratified and humbled to see how the interns have added new gifts to the Institute.

I've been a believer in the Institute since its conception; being surrounded by the Institute's messaging and face-to-face with the people it serves proved to me how much demand there is for the kinds of renewal we advocate for.

The Faith & Reason Seminar was a humbling, enlightening experience, offering so much wisdom and fruit, both as a participant and a staff assistant. The Music & Leadership Camp demonstrated the vivacity and authenticity of sacred and folk music, and enabled our young people to step up and claim these traditions as their own. The collaborative BBQ with C-YEG exemplified the simple fact that the desire to pursue community, wisdom and genuine culture is alive and well in young adults around Edmonton, and simply needs to be called to action. The volunteer services we provided to the Marian Centre, the Gianna Centre and our diocese's parishes became ways for us to grow in virtue and make a discernible difference to our local ministries and parish communities.

I can recommend the Gregory the Great Institute's summer internship wholeheartedly! I believe its impact on the participant's life will be noticeable. Thank you, God, for making this opportunity available to me and opening my heart and mind to the growth you have deemed meet for me. Thank you to Dr. & Mrs. Topping, Ms. Renneberg and Mr. Carpay for their inspiring leadership and mentorship. Thank you to all of the supporters of the Institute who enabled the possibility of an internship!

Finally, a warm thank you to my fellow interns for making this an unforgettable summer. Learning to work cohesively with Beth, Ianua, Joseph and Chris was a truly unique experience for me, and not only have we become an indelible cohort of friends, but I anticipate that the growth involved will positively affect the rest of my personal and professional relationships going forward.