Every now and again, I wonder, “How many times have I celebrated Mass?” Or I might wonder about the number of times I have helped to share God’s mercy and healing through the sacraments of reconciliation and the anointing of the sick. What about weddings, funerals or first communions? By now I have lost count of these, but suffice it to say, there have been many such celebrations and they have been opportunities for me to grow in God’s grace and to share God’s grace with those around me.

How many stories of God’s enduring presence have graced the pages of FAITH since its beginning 10 years ago? I suppose one could sit down and count them all, but other than providing an interesting piece of trivia, I’m not sure what that would show. Instead, I like to reflect about how, over these 10 years, we have sought to stay true to the original vision for FAITH that was articulated by Bishop Carl Mengeling, our founding publisher, and Father Charlie Irvin, our founding editor-in-chief.

FAITH began with a simple idea: tell stories of faith using words and pictures. Jesus used stories and real human experiences to tell and teach about the goodness of God. Surely there are still many such stories that can be told. In telling these faith stories, people have the opportunity to witness the presence and action of God in a deeply personal way, hopefully seeing our relationship with God as not one that is distant or impersonal, but rather, living, dynamic and approachable.

Our goal has been not only to tell stories of faith, but also to build relationships that are centered around our faith. In telling these stories, we have said good-bye to old friends like Bishop Povish and welcomed new friends. We have come to understand God’s love for us in both challenging and everyday circumstances. Hopefully, we have also helped one another to understand that we belong not just to particular parishes, but to something much larger and very beautiful: we are all members of the Body of Christ and we belong to Christ.

Thanks for the 10 years just concluded. Thanks for letting us drop by your home 10 times a year for a visit. Thanks to all those who have so graciously shared their stories on these pages. Thanks to all those who continue to read and share these stories with family, friends, co-workers and total strangers. Thanks to Bishops Mengeling and Boyea for their support and guidance. Thanks to Father Charlie for getting this thing off the ground. Thanks to a very faith-filled and talented staff who keep writing, designing, crafting, sharing and trusting that we can tell these stories and help to bring about even deeper love for God.

Ten years seems like a long time and a lot of stories, but we’re just getting started. And so, thanks be to God and to all of you, our journey in FAITH continues.