Mary Parcells:
CLASS OF 1976
Mountain Valley High SchoolClass of 1976
Saguache, CO
Saint Finbar SchoolClass of 9999
Burbank, CA
Immaculate Heart CollegeClass of 1980
Hollywood, CA
El Cajon Valley High SchoolClass of 1976
El cajon, CA
Mary's Story
Well, I've been down quite a road since graduation. I did go to Immaculate Heart College like I had planned since I was seven years old. I graduated in 1980 with a BA and my teaching credential. I spent my first year teaching in Omaha, NE, near my parents' then home across the Missouri River in Woodbine, IA. I spent a lot of time that year at Creighton University, where my sister Sue was a freshman.
I returned to Los Angeles and taught for two more years at All Saints School before I returned to school to clear my credential. During my study of photojournalism, I learned typesetting, had many articles and photos published, and won a few state journalism awards. My part-time typesetting job became full-time typesetting and graphic arts. Which led to part-time writing and editing of the newsletter for the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council -- the Cardinal's lay advisory council.
That contact and a few of my religious ed. contacts led me to a full-time job at the Office of Family Life (OFL). It seems like the Lord leads me to each new job to teach me skills I will need in the next one. At the OFL I was the Coordinator of Leadership Training and Spe...Expand for more
cial Projects. I learned a lot about hospitality, and about domestic violence resources, the cycle of violence, communication in relationships, volunteer management, and a hundred other things. And I made lifelong friendships that I will forever cherish.
A priest I met while at the OFL asked me to come with him to the parish he was taking over when its current pastor retired. He hired me, and a brilliant young man I also knew, to take over the tasks of the priests he wasn't getting. We developed a very strong ministry team, with the Lord leading us all the way.
After a few years I had to leave because I developed excruciating chronic daily headaches -- no, they're not migraines, we've ruled that out. I had to go on disability, and I'm still on it. I've been through 37 different treatment modalities, and I've been off of all narcotics since January 2006.
The Lord has been leading me to all kinds of different ministries lately, including building a website that's a one-stop information shop for Catholic spirituality and religious information.
Which is where I am today, a few months past my 50th birthday, exploring the healing ministry.
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