| Our own uncertainties can prevent us from doing something wonderful for the Lord, even using our gift or talent that we know, deep down, we are good at. Like many of us, Jessica Nicolosi was uncertain how to use her gifts and followed a circuitous route in her search. Saint Helen’s parishioners appreciate and benefit from the expression of her talent and skills as Jessica chairs the Art and Environment Ministry and collaborates, working alongside a “rotating army” of volunteers, to fulfill the decorative aesthetic for the worship space, inspired by their faith and God’s call to them. A cradle Catholic, Jessica attended Catholic school through early high school, subsequently studying at the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC. But she felt restless when picturing a life dedicated to fashion. “I used to wonder why I had these skills. How could I live a life that served the Lord if I worked in fashion?” In college she attended Mass intermittently but prayed on her own; God unceasingly called to her through her uncertainty. For Jessica, “it was a slow progression back in,” to the Church in her early to mid-20s. After meeting and marrying her husband Christian, who lived in New Jersey, they set out to explore a parish to join as a couple. When Jessica and Christian discovered Saint Helen in 2015 and attended the Sunday evening liturgy, their search for a parish home was complete. When her first son Thomas was born (two years before COVID), she missed her creative career outlet, until an opportunity “fell in her lap.” When Fr. Gabriel Curtis, parochial vicar, said, “You’re good with fabric…we need someone to help with decorations,” she responded to the request, but wondered how she could live up to this opportunity which she knew God was calling her to. Despite her self-doubt, her desire to learn and the challenge placed before her drew her out of her comfort zone She will quickly explain that one of her greatest strengths is bringing together the gifts of others to imbue our sacred space with warmth and beauty. It is an ongoing journey which deepens her own faith and inspires those who learn her story. “The Lord gave me these skills for a reason…if I trust Him and follow His lead, He will show me the way.” Today, Jessica, Christian, Thomas, and Luke (born right after the COVID shutdown), make church decorating a family event. Christian’s support is paramount, and he does a lot of the required lifting and climbing. “My boys know church is not just a place to come to occasionally. This role is really the highest honor for me: you (God) want me to decorate where you are dwelling.” Using our gifts and charisms draw us closer to God, deeper in our faith, and brings blessings beyond our imagination. |
