Meet Parishioner Carla Stahley: Living Our Faith in a Practical Way

In today’s world, living out the faith can be a challenge. Kids are growing up with different influences than the generations before them, with tough situations presented on a regular basis. Catechist Carla Stahley strives to teach the children of our parish how to live the faith in a practical way.

“A lot of people say that kids are the future, but they’re the present,” Carla says. “They’re as much the present as they are the future.”

A parishioner at St. Timothy for eight years, Carla has spent the last five years as a catechist for the children in our parish — she was also a catechist at her previous parish for more than six years. She believes in the importance of instructing children in the faith, through both prayer and Scripture, as well as real-life examples.

"We’re like David fighting Goliath in today’s world," Carla says. “They live in situations I didn’t face at their age. We can memorize prayers, but unless we can live it out, what good is it? This is not an easy road we have. We’re all in a community and that to me is the most important thing.”

Each week, Carla develops a lesson plan for the children. They begin every lesson with prayer and a song about the books of the Bible, then engage in various small and largegroup activities, and Carla chooses a weekly challenge for the children.

“I want the kids to grow in their faith,” she says. "That looks different for each person, based on families, backgrounds and where they are on their journey. Their knowledge and relationships with Jesus are all a little different.”

Serving as a catechist is a natural fit for Carla, being a middle school math teacher who enjoys learning more about the faith.

“If you want to learn about something, teach it,” she says. “I absolutely love our faith and I don’t think you can ever learn enough. I have a natural curiosity for our faith. It’s exciting for me to hear how these kids think and how they perceive something. It also helps being a teacher to guide where they’re going.”

Along with her role as a catechist, Carla helps with Vacation Bible School and food drives, and she is currently working in a leadership role for the Emmaus Retreat. She enjoys the dynamic community at St. Timothy and being involved in the life of the parish. For her, serving around the community is an easy way to grow in her faith.

“It’s so wonderful to see people of all ages, all walks of life working together as a community,” Carla says. “Everybody seems genuinely invested in their time and talents. It’s wonderful to see that.”

Carla Stahley has been a catechist at our parish for several years. She enjoys engaging with the children and teaching them how to live out the faith in today’s world.