Spotlight on Patrick Calhoun
 
Q: What do you like about St. Jude parish?
What I like most about St. Jude is the feeling of community, and that’s a credit to the leaders of the parish, Monsignor Beach and Father Dave. When I arrive for Mass on the weekends, it's always so nice to see a friendly face to strike up a conversation with. I like that I know so many people and everyone is friendly and interested in what is going on in each other's lives.

Q: In what way do you participate in parish life?
I participate in parish life by being a lector at Mass. I also was able to participate in Catholic Heart Work Camp with other teen members of the parish for the past few summers.

Q: What attracted you to those parish activities/ministries?
I was attracted to being a lector because public speaking is a favorite activity of mine, and I participate on the speech and debate team at La Salle.  I started lectoring when I was in elementary school and have continued through high school.  My sister participated in Catholic Heart Work Camp when she was younger and had a wonderful experience, so I was looking forward to taking part in that when I was old enough. I highly recommend it for any teens who want to make a difference in the lives of others.

Q: What advice can you give to people your age about remaining close to God?
Having a good relationship with God is extremely important during any person’s teenage years. Turning to God can help you as you face making difficult decisions in high school. Being a retreatant on and leading the Kairos retreat at my high school also helped me realize the importance of having a relationship with God. Remaining close to God can be as simple as saying a daily prayer every morning asking for guidance for the day or thanking God for our blessings.

Q: Where do you go to school and what are your plans for the future?
I am currently a senior at LaSalle College High School. I will attend Villanova University in the fall. I am excited to start my college years! At this point my major will be Communications, and I would like to focus on Broadcast Journalism.

Good luck, Patrick!