The Holiest Person I’ve Ever Met

Liz, who blogs over at St. Dymphna’s Daughter, asked me to write a post about the holiest person I’ve ever met.

I thought long and hard about the people in my life, and as it turns out, I know a lot of holy people! It was a tough decision to narrow it down to just one person.

However, as I thought and prayed about the people I love and who have blessed me with their love and friendship, one particular person kept coming to mind: my good friend Luisa.

Luisa is godmother to two of my children — Gabriel and Laura — as well as an honorary godmother to the others and the confirmation sponsor of my oldest.

In addition to being a mother of nine (seven on earth, plus two in heaven), she is a Catholic school teacher and spends her days shaping young Catholic minds.

Since being a working mother of many doesn’t keep her busy enough (hah) she also devotes many hours to Eucharistic adoration at the cathedral of our diocese.

She is a tireless advocate for unborn children and often attends the local March for Life as well as the Christmas Eve and Good Friday Rosary for Life at area Planned Parenthoods. When I had my back-to-back miscarriages in 2015, she was a source of comfort and strength to me, and she showed her support by attending the funerals of both of my children.

Her son, Peter, is a seminarian (scroll down to “Peter Lukasewski” at the link to read his story). Luisa was so proud when she told me about the story he had written for the Diocese of Phoenix’s site, and when I read it, I was proud of her as well as him. It was clear that she, along with her husband, had raised a fine young man who will be a blessing to the priesthood and those he serves.

Along with her husband, Luisa also volunteers with my parish’s marriage preparation ministry. Having been married for over 20 years, she knows firsthand the trials and tribulations of marriage, and she devotes time to helping other couples start their marriages on the right path.

When I hear the verse, “Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her,” (Proverbs 31:28) Luisa is who comes to mind. She is a role model to me, and I am blessed to have her as a friend and mentor.