Meet Marg Lenz

How long have you been a parishioner?

Following a transfer to Stella Maris School in 1987 and purchasing a home here, I was eventually able to call myself a parishioner in Caloundra rather than a tourist.  That was the start of 35 years in a prayerful and caring community that became a very important part of my life.

Where is your place of worship?

Our Lady of the Rosary Church, especially with the 6:30am mass folk (my main place of worship!)

What is your favourite prayer/devotion?

The Mass will always be very special in my prayer life because of the rich diversity of prayers and reflections contained within it.  We praise God, we ask for forgiveness, we are enriched in the Readings and Holy Communion, and we remember the people in need of our prayers.  The Catholic Church has many beautiful prayers – the Rosary, where we journey with Jesus and Mary through their lives, Stations of the Cross, Prayers of the Saints etc.

Would you like to share your experience of God’s love?

There have been many times in my life when I have felt God’s love and protection.  My first experience was as a 13-year-old, when I moved to Boarding School in order to gain a High School education.  The feeling of loneliness was soon replaced by excitement and warmth as I talked to God about this next phase of my life.  This was when I realised I would never be alone, and my prayer is that everyone can live in this peace.

What is your most important practice in ‘living your faith’ as a disciple?

Jesus always responded to any need that He saw; and I try to emulate that whether it is within our church or out in the general community.  I have always been blessed to be part of a family where the members have Christian values and are willing to put them into practice.

What do you most enjoy about being a part of the parish community?

Our parish community consists of many generous and dedicated people.  I find it uplifting to be able to associate with people like that.

What are you most proud of about your parish involvement, contribution & support of our community?

When I first retired in 2004, it didn’t take long to discover activities that were in need of an extra pair of hands.  Fred, my husband, and I became involved in preparing and serving meals to the elderly folk in Karingal, our Parish home for the elderly at the time.  We also assisted in running Bookfests where many thousands of dollars were raised to provide for the Karingal residents and for the poor in East Timor and i was the Catholic co-ordinator for World Day of Prayer.  We were part of a big group of parishioners who gave of their time and skills to make a difference to the lives of the people.

One of our dedicated parishioners, Trish Lynam, had been compiling the rosters for our Ministers at Caloundra for many years and needed a break so I offered to relieve her of that role.  Preparing the Sunday rosters, as well as the Easter and Christmas rosters, gave me the opportunity to be involved in the liturgy, which has always been my passion.  It also presented the opportunity to meet many lovely parishioners and to be able to use skills gained during time in my teaching career.

Would you like to share a little more about your faith life?

Our world has so much beauty in it – a sunrise or sunset, beautiful plants and flowers, animals and people of all ages – it is easy to see God in all His creation and give praise for it.

Faithful Servants is a regular feature of the ever-present ‘servants of the faith’ across our local parish community.

Please email Bernadette Bain, if you would like to nominate someone for this feature.