Despite our desire to be at the New York Encounter, when my wife and I seriously considered the possibility last fall, the logistics seemed to prevent the possibility of going. We have four boys, aged 3 to 13 who would need to be cared for and shuttled to their athletic events. We live at least four hours from our nearest family members, who seemed to be the only people that we could ask to help us. A long weekend for something optional like the Encounter seemed out of reach.

It happened that we were contemplating this about the same time as we lost a baby to a miscarriage. During that sad time, our small but faithful school of community had been an incredibly generous and loving source of support. We asked ourselves, almost incredulously: “What if we asked the CL’ers to help us make this trip?” It seemed like a big risk with an uncertain outcome, but we asked. The response from our friends opened our eyes to what God was making possible through them: we were going to be able to go to the New York Encounter.

Five people from our community shared the load of being with our boys over the course of the weekend. This was all the more remarkable to us in that my wife and I are about 15 years the seniors of the people in our community, and we are the only family. Here were these young people, some single, some dating, some engaged, loving us and our boys through their generosity.

At mass on Sunday of the Encounter, my wife and I found ourselves in the line to receive communion from Chaldean Catholic Archbishop-in-Exile Emil Nona. As I approached him, I was overwhelmed by the reality of what was happening: this man without a country, fleeing because of his faith is now offering Christ to me. It was an experience of communion with Archbishop Nona through Christ present in the Church and with Christ himself physically present before and within me. As I returned to my seat, singing My Father Sings to Me, my thoughts turned to our friends back in Des Moines who were at that same time getting our boys ready for mass at our home parish. I was overwhelmed with amazement for this Church and its people that had been given to me.

The following week, I was reading Chapter 8 in Christ God’s Companionship with Man. I was stunned when I read what Fr. Giussani wrote: “What God may say to us: “Do not weep because I did not make you for death, but for life! I put you in the world and placed you in a great company of people!” Indeed, it was a company of people that I experienced concretely in New York and through our friends at home who made our Encounter in New York possible.