Meet Parishioner Karen Boyer: Finding Home and Community in Our Church

Karen Boyer's journey to the Catholic Faith and Immaculate Conception was a long and winding one. But now that she is here, she’s so very thankful.

When she was growing up, Karen attended religious services with both sets of grandparents — her Methodist maternal grandparents and Baptist paternal grandparents. When she was 15, Karen went on a road trip to California with her family. She remembers stopping at the Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe, NM, and seeing the mysterious spiral staircase. Intrigued, and despite not knowing anyone who was Catholic, Karen started learning more about the Catholic faith. In high school and college, Karen learned more about many different faith traditions. By the time Karen got married and had her son, Michael, she didn't feel that she needed religion.

“I would say that I was spiritual but not religious,” Karen says.

As the years passed, Karen found community in her work family. She also had a large extended family with whom she had always been close. When Karen’s family members started to pass away, she felt very lost, but she couldn’t understand why. That’s what finally brought her to the doors of Immaculate Conception in 2013.

“I was feeling so alone and lost,” Karen says. “I passed Immaculate Conception all the time, so I decided to try attending Mass.”

Karen participated in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) process and entered into the Catholic faith in 2014.

“I really liked RCIA, and I wanted to come back to help,” Karen says. “I’ve been helping with set-up, greeting people, and take-down ever since.”

Karen is still learning about the Catholic faith and finds that she learns something new each year at RCIA. She faced some struggles from 2015 to 2017, and she really leaned on her faith. Any time something was being offered at Immaculate Conception, she was there. She loves being part of any Adult Faith Formation activities. This community got her through those difficult years.

“This church and RCIA are my family,” Karen says.

Karen’s son, Michael, also went through the RCIA process and joined the Catholic Church in 2018.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Karen had been involved with Eucharistic Adoration and Vacation Bible School. She serves as a lector, Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, and a Sonfest volunteer. While she now lives in Sheridan, Karen loves the community she’s found at Immaculate Conception, so she is willing to make the drive.

“I would tell everyone to get involved at the parish,” she says. “It’s a connection you can build with other people at Immaculate Conception. You can get to know people and hear their stories.”

Karen Boyer feels at home here at Immaculate Conception.