Goodbye, Karissa!

Just over a month ago, we came together to celebrate the marriage of one of our own, Karissa Pavelka, to parishioner and doctor-to-be Andrew Simon. Now we bid farewell to the happy couple as they head to Sayre, Pennsylvania to complete Andrew's hospital residency. Karissa has been a peer minister, Catechist, musician, Parish Council member, and Living Stations of the Cross director throughout her life at St. Margaret. Most importantly, however, she has been a friend and mentor for our youth, joining us on trips, retreats, and hang-out nights. While she will be back to visit on occasion, she will be missed by all of us at St. Margaret. To celebrate her new beginning in Pennsylvania, the youth presented Karissa with a print of one of her favorite verses from Psalms, "Be still and know that I am God" (Ps 46:10). On the back of the frame, each student wrote a personal message to Karissa with anything from an inside joke from years ago to best wishes in their new home. We thank Karissa for everything she has done for the youth in our parish and the parish as a whole. Thank you for the kind words, the hugs, the jokes, the games, the stories, the fear of obscure diseases, and, most importantly, the compassion for our youth. Please pray for Karissa and Andrew as they begin a new life in Sayre.