Lila's Story

Hello everyone!  My name is Lila Poremba, and I was raised in the Catholic Church. I was a faithful child, and I went to mass every Sunday with my family. I remember having parties with friends at church and having fun. We were very involved with the community, but I did not gain a good understanding of the faith through my experiences at the church at the time. When I was about 13 years old, my parents stopped going to church, and therefore I stopped going as well. Soon after, I felt something was missing in my life, so I decided to try going to different Christian churches to search for something to fill that hole in my life. I found some new friends at those churches, but I didn’t feel at home. I always felt something was missing.

I found my experience with exploring different Christian denominations very frustrating.  I eventually got depressed and decided to leave the faith completely. I didn’t know what to do and was mad at God. I felt I didn’t want to be religious, but I knew deep down that God existed even though I was angry at everything. I went through a very dark time and didn’t know what to do or who to go to. 

One night in November of 2021, despite not wanting to believe in God, I had an overwhelming sense that I needed to go home to the Catholic Church. I messaged some friends who were Catholic, and they started going to Mass with me at St. Pius X parish.  Because the Catholic friends that I knew weren’t living in town at that time, they helped connect me with some of the young adults who were involved in the St. Pius X young adult community.  I was invited to many of the young adult community events, and there I developed some incredible friendships.  The friends I have made in the young adult community have SERIOUSLY helped me in so many ways. Despite my flaws and struggles with anxiety, they continue to shower me with love and acceptance, and I am truly grateful for that. No matter how nervous I get, SOMEBODY eventually calms me and it's beautiful and for sure something Jesus would do.

Because my family stopped going to church when I was 13, I never received the Sacrament of Confirmation.  After a few months of preparation, I finally received the gift of Confirmation on Pentecost earlier this year. For many years, I had been struggling with loneliness and felt separated from God, but at the moment I was confirmed, I felt overwhelming peace. God has continued to give me many graces to see how He is working in my life. I still struggle with anxiety, but I know that God is helping me. I know that every moment in our lives can be a way to draw closer to God, and that my life has a purpose, and I want to help others see their purpose in life as well.

I thank God for blessing me with this wonderful community of St. Pius X and I thank you all for making it a place where people can come to know, love, and serve God.

Sincerely, Lila