“Three-fourths of Catholics will not consistently practice their faith after confirmation,” the youth leader announces on the first confirmation program meeting at St. Charles in Hartland, Wisconsin. The harsh truth. In each new generation, religiousness decreases as atheism increases. Many young people feel like there is no use for spirituality or religion anymore. 

I’m probably going to be one of those people, I thought pessimistically. Statistically speaking, it was the most likely option – and I, as many other teens, was beginning to question my own beliefs. 

This all changed when I was placed into Bruce’s small group for confirmation. This small group was a breakaway from the seventy-five other kids getting confirmed at the same time. We met on Wednesdays during my junior year at the house of one of the girls in my group to discuss the confirmation process, our faith, and the church. 

This was during a time where I was really struggling. I had been fighting an uphill battle with depression and anxiety for a while, and I couldn’t see myself getting better any time soon. I like to think that God putting Bruce in my life was His way of helping me.

Bruce was patient with us, even when it was clear some of the group clearly had different things they would rather be doing. He answered all of our wild questions and made the complexity of the church easy to grasp. He took so much of his own time to make sure a group of 10 teenagers could experience the love of God. 

He was open and vulnerable with us about his own struggles, showing the power of spirituality could get him out of the darkest places. He talked about getting through struggles with his family, getting out of bad situations he had got in, and how turning to God helped him through it all. I took his stories to heart. If God was able to help Bruce through all of that, could he help me? 

I was second guessing myself throughout the process of whether I actually wanted to get confirmed. It is a big commitment in the Catholic church, so I was hesitant of my decision. Bruce helped me to make the choice by solidifying my faith, taking the pressure off what felt like such a big leap. 

Before meeting Bruce, I would hide my Catholicism. It seemed taboo to me to mention my religion, like I would be judged for talking about it. Bruce on the other hand, was proud of his beliefs and stood by them. He made me realize that I should not be ashamed of my religion. It is a big part of who I am, so I am doing a disservice to not only myself, but to God, by hiding it. 

I look at the rosary that he made me every day. The prayer app on my phone that he encouraged me to download. The holy water on my nightstand. Bruce made a significant impact on my life in all aspects, putting so much time and energy into connecting me to God. No matter where my life takes me now, I will be forever grateful for Bruce helping me to get here.