rooted in faith and friendship

Alanna said.

one of us gets a little which is normal, or even falls

Lizzie said, “we send each other an Bible verse or an Instagram talk,” Alanna added. powerful antidote to the stresses adolescence, the twins say. are angsty, and their brains developed,” Alanna said. “There’s pressure on yourself, but having a accept the struggles. There are majors and options, but you’re become the person that God wants spring, Lizzie was having a bad receiving regular updates on the her grandparents in hospice classmate in English class disparaged out of the classroom and prayed Marys,” she said. “My frontal fully developed. But faith has helpful for me in regulating maturity — including a keen interest justice issues — is matched by a youthful spirit. The girls are quick swapping jokes and tracking memes and TikTok trends.

Transitioning to high school

transition from eighth grade, their final Lady of Grace Catholic School, to their first year of public school at School, was dramatic.

“It’s like going from this super long, amazing Catholic retreat to the real world,” Alanna said.

But they didn’t see that as a bad thing, she explained.

“You get to use everything you’ve learned and go fight the good fight!” added Alanna.

Sister Julieta said she wasn’t surprised by their perspective. “When they ask for spiritual advice, their questions are always about how to please God more and how to go deeper in their prayer life. They’re aware that God is using them as instrument(s).”

They welcomed the chance to meet people from many different faith traditions.

The girls have exercised great courage, seizing opportunities to defend the Catholic Church when it is presented unfairly in classroom discussion. They’ve learned how to discuss Church teachings on thorny social issues with clarity and humility.

They’ve had their work cut out for them.

“It’s frustrating because our generation has open minds about everything but religion,” Lizzie said.

“Some people are aggressively against religion,” Alanna added.

When they overheard an art teacher talking about “getting out of” the Catholic faith, they responded sensitively. “I feel for people who are at that point,” Alanna said.

“You know something happened to them.”

A gentle witness

The twins lead with kindness, focusing on genuine connections rather than heavyhanded evangelization. They invite classmates to tag along to Mass. They even brought an atheist friend to eucharistic adoration, where she had a beautiful experience.

They don’t view this friend as a project. Rather, they see her many gifts.

“She’s one of the kindest, most humble and virtuous people I know,” Alanna said.

Their approach — equal parts conviction and compassion — has borne great fruit. They’ve had many exciting conversations with classmates who reconsidered their views of Catholicism. One friend who used to be staunchly opposed to organized religion started posting positive messages about Christianity on Instagram.

“Lizzie and Alanna have encouraged me to grow in my faith, as they always remind me that a relationship with God is joyous and rewarding,” said Natalie Mosakowski, 16, a member of OLG and a sophomore at Edina High School. “They integrate faith into every aspect of their lives, and their pure joy makes me want to dedicate myself deeper to God, too.”

Serving others is their way of being, Mosakowski explained. “They’re always listening to others, supporting their friends and radiating love. I’ve never met more compassionate, generous people.”

The twins understand the power of compassion.

“When I hear from someone who feels ostracized by the Church, I get so much joy in saying, ‘No, Jesus loves you! Jesus loves you even more because of what you’ve been through!’” Alanna said. “That really is a powerful moment. Jesus came to the world to help those who are hurting.”

“That’s why I love our faith so much,” Lizzie added. “It gives meaning to every hardship.”

“Redemptive suffering!” Alanna said, pointing at her twin and referencing a middle-school religion lesson that has stayed with them.

“That’s our life motto,” Lizzie said, nodding.

It’s tied to gratitude, a sense of wonder that their teachers and classmates pick up on. “They absolutely loved what they were learning about in AP Biology,” said Stephen Sanger, who taught the twins last year. “They clearly enjoy learning for learning’s sake. They thanked me just about every day as they left class, which is not typical high school behavior.”

They leave their mark in humble ways.

“Early last year, I noticed Post-it notes started to appear around the room with inspirational quotes and messages of gratitude,” Sanger said. “They were meant to be random pick-me-ups to whomever noticed and read them. It took me a while to figure out the source of these positive messages, but when I did, it made total sense: It was Alanna.”

Even her twin benefits. “I’ll be in the bathroom and see, ‘Oh, Alanna was in this stall,’” Lizzie said, referencing notes her twin leaves behind.

Now others have started leaving uplifting Post-it messages around the school, a custom that will continue when the twins begin studies at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities this fall. They plan to live in the same dorm but not as roommates.

They don’t want to simply make a living but make a difference. Lizzie wants to become a lawyer. She envisions channeling her passion for social justice as a human rights attorney. Alanna dreams of becoming a doctor and working on a cure for NF2.

Learning about the lives of the saints makes their big dreams feel feasible. The twins light up when they talk about Blessed Benedetta Bianchi Porro, a 20th century Italian Catholic who had, in essence, NF2 but valiantly pursued a medical career, learning to lip read to make it through school when she lost her hearing.

These are the stories they’ll be carrying with them on graduation day, a lifetime of trials and triumphs packed into 18 remarkable years.

“They’re ready,” said Father Finnegan. “They’re ready and willing to serve and to give praise to God.”

To honor graduating high school seniors in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, The Catholic Spirit asked school officials at three Catholic high schools — Cristo Rey Jesuit in Minneapolis, St. Agnes in St. Paul and Unity Catholic in Burnsville — to suggest students who might share their faith journey. The three students credit their Catholic education with deepening their faith and express a commitment to living out its principles. The Catholic Spirit congratulates all 2023 high school graduates!