When Megan and Tom Enzweiler met in Dallas right out of college, Tom — a cradle Catholic — invited Megan to Mass, as she didn’t have a religious background.
“Before we even officially dated, Tom invited me to go to Mass with him and then a young adult social activity after,” she says. “After going to Mass with Tom and attending more young adult activities, meeting other strong and joyful Catholics, I felt called to join the Catholic Church and went through the RCIA process.”
A couple of years later, Megan and Tom were married at the church in Dallas where Megan was baptized, confirmed, and received her First Communion.
“We have since lived in Seattle, and now back to Raleigh,” Tom says. “We have welcomed four kids into our family as of Oct. 6, when our fourth child was born.”
The Enzweilers have been parishioners here at Our Lady of Lourdes for almost two years. Tom initially got involved in parish life through That Man Is You!, or TMIY!
“I found the community and the content of the meetings to be very enriching,” he says. “We also joined a new families group early on and met other couples with young kids.”
Now, Tom is part of the Welcome and Engage Committee and a regular attendee of TMIY! Megan is involved in many stewardship opportunities through Our Lady of Lourdes School. They also share an hour at the adoration chapel and are currently taking part in the Choice Wine marriage enrichment program.
Participation in parish life has brought Megan and Tom the reassurance and knowledge that they are part of the building up of the Church for their children.
“If our ultimate goal is salvation for ourselves and those who depend on us, then there is no better way to spend our energy than creating a community in which our children can thrive spiritually,” Tom says. “One result of the community at Lourdes is the friendship and support of fellow parishioners. In an increasingly isolated world, the parish is one of the few places where we can encounter real people with shared values. For that reason alone, I am constantly encouraging others to get involved in something at their parishes.”
Part of living the Christian life means passing on their faith to their children. Tom and Megan pray every day with their kids through blessings before meals and reciting bedtime prayers.
“One of our favorite ways to incorporate the faith in our daily lives is to teach our kids about the saints through books and podcasts, and talking about the lives of various saints,” Megan says. “For ourselves and our marriage, we try to commit to continual adult catechesis through our own reading, through participating in men’s and women’s groups, and through marriage enrichment programs. We also try to participate in regular adoration at least weekly, so that we can pray for our marriage and family in front of the blessed sacrament.”
Being members of Lourdes has helped the Enzweilers deepen their faith through a
supportive community.
“We have found that within the parish, relationships develop first from a shared pursuit of virtue,” Tom says. “This creates an environment where we are naturally drawn further into relationship with Christ.”