By Bob Zyskowski

I met a construction guy the other day who was working on the most interesting project. His firm has the job of figuring out how to dismantle a Catholic church in Buffalo, N.Y. They must take it apart — stone by stone, stained-glass window by stained-glass window — crate it up and rebuild it in suburban Atlanta, Ga. He’s familiar with the construction of churches, but he’s never had to take one down and put it back together again. It was quite the story.

I met the neatest woman, too. She’s a woman religious, a Grey Nun, and although she has a debilitating neuro-muscular disease, she hasn’t given up serving God’s people. She carries her breathing machine and oxygen concentrator around with her while serving as an integrator of faith and health care, a health educator and a counselor. She also makes referrals and develops support groups for the sick. Oh, and in her spare time she helps Nicaraguan refugees coming to the United States and Canada. She was quite the story.

I met a number of Catholic people of color as well. They talked about the emotional response they felt with the election of Barack Obama as president of the United States. One said, “As a black woman, when I tell my children and grandchildren they can be anything they want to be, now they see it’s possible.” Another in that group was a Catholic archbishop – also a black man – who offered the new president his prayerful good wishes along with a reminder about the need to protect human life at each stage of its existence. They made for quite the story.

Introducing Catholics to one another

I am not unique in meeting interesting people like this, though. I met all these folks reading one issue of a Catholic newspaper. It’s an experience recurring all across North America because that’s what Catholic publications and Catholic Web sites do: They introduce Catholics to one another. Of course, Catholic magazines, newspapers, newsletters, e-newsletters, Web sites and books share information Catholics need to know and live their faith better. Columnists and bloggers invite reflection on a variety of Catholic perspectives about the issues of the day that Catholics care about. Resources and activities that help Catholics enrich their spiritual lives and actively live out their baptismal call are regularly a part of Catholic communications vehicles — both in print and online.

But, more than ever, Catholics need to know one another. We need to be inspired by learning of the marvelous sacrifices other Catholics make as they follow Jesus’ commandments to love God and love their neighbor.

We need to have role models to emulate as we strive to deepen our personal spiritual life, as we advocate for God’s children in need, and as we try to live Gospel-based lives in our homes, workplaces and communities.

A way to touch thousands

Recently a young mother passed away to whom thousands had been introduced. Emilie Lemmons had been a reporter for a Catholic newspaper, an editor of a church magazine and a columnist writing about the challenges of motherhood and parenting. When she was diagnosed with a virulent strain of cancer, her columns shifted in focus, describing the challenge of trying to be a good wife and mother while dealing with a life-threatening disease.

Thousands read her heart-wrenching words as she struggled with God, with her illness and with her emotions.

Thousands more joined her journey on the Internet, where she blogged about trying to be strong when she wasn’t strong, trying to put her life in God’s hands when she didn’t want to give up her life. She was quite the Catholic – and quite a story.

Issue after issue publications and websites of the Catholic Press Association introduce Catholics to one another:

Catholics who share interesting, useful information; Catholics whose stories give us the strength to live the teachings of our church; Catholics who inspire us to know and follow Jesus more closely. And how about you?

Whom will you meet today?

Bob Zyskowski is associate publisher of The Catholic Spirit, newspaper of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, and president of the Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada.