"I feel like the rose candle" my friend said.  Confused, I asked her to clarify.  Looking down the pew, she explained that she was the only one wearing white, while the other four of us were dressed in dark colors.  "Well, that means you are the joyous one then!"

Jennifer Riturban is from Good Shepherd Parish in Elk Grove. She is a benefit analyst and involved with Singles for Christ. She also serves as a catechist at her parish.

There have been joyful times, confusing times, frustrating times – especially in my early young adult life. I was going through the motions and I wasn’t fully participating in the church. A high school retreat helped me to understand God and my prayer life, but as far as fully embracing the fullness of the church, it didn’t happen until my late 20s.

I was invited to Singles for Christ’s formation program to rekindle the spark in my faith. It helped me to return to the sacrament of reconciliation after a decade. I was encouraged and challenged by this sacrament of healing. The Holy Spirit was helping me to serve the church better.

The outpouring of generosity we’ve seen in response to the Camp Fire continues to humble us.

On Saturday, Dec. 15, our Catholic friends in Morgan Hill, Calif., brought over 60 bikes and 200 children’s toys to Notre Dame Catholic School in Chico to be distributed to Camp Fire evacuees.

Their organization, “Bikes Because We Care,” has been making bike donations for years to help victims of fires and other natural disasters in Northern California.  Their gifts added a sense of stability and joy to children who otherwise may have gone without this Christmas. Thank you so much to Michael and Cindy Reuter and their organization, and thank you to all who have donated to the Camp Fire Student Fund, helping us welcome displaced schoolchildren into our Catholic schools.