On March 4th, our Catholic community joyfully welcomed Bishop Luis Rafael Zarama to the 6pm Mass at the Elon Community Church and to our March Sunday Supper that followed afterward. Additionally, our community was excited to have Elon's ninth president Dr. Connie Book, a practicing Catholic, join us at Mass and dinner as well. Our ministry was so happy to have two incredible guests with us on this very special Sunday.

During the homily, Bishop Zarama first complemented our choir and recalled how the lovely voices of the choir used to bring him to Mass when we was in his late teens and early twenties. He also talked about making ourselves presentable for God and to clean our souls like we clean our rooms. This takes effort especially in college, but he was thrilled to see the great participation of Catholic students in their faith. Bishop Zarama spoke of being joy-filled Catholics both when receiving the Eucharist during Mass as well as exiting the church and going out into the world. He called us to share the joy of Jesus we receive with everyone we meet.

After Mass, it was a Sunday Supper for the record books! The members of the Elon Community Church and a local CCM parishioner catered an incredible meal for the 120 people at Sunday Supper in the Community Life Center. They were so kind and generous to all of us in attendance. Both Dr. Book and Bishop Zarama were able to mingle with students and community members who wore shining smiles as they chatted with our special guests. Bishop Zarama's humility was incredible, and his ability to talk and interact with each person further emphasized his love for the Church and its people. Dr. Book is extraordinarily down-to-earth, and I certainly loved talking with her to learn more about her and her new role as Elon President.

It was truly a gift for both of them to join our ministry for a celebration of the Mass and to make it such a memorable day for everyone. We hope for future visits from Bishop Zarama and a continued relationship with President Book for many years to come!