Thank You, Tara Sawney!
It is with deep gratitude that Totus Tuus Apostolate bids farewell to Tara Sawney, our Lead for Partnerships and Engagements.
Of the many unforgettable memories within a short span of time, it was the sight of Tara’s quiet consistency as she clutched her Divine Office prayer book, and frequent participation in the Holy Sacrifice of Mass and Eucharistic Adoration that caught our attention and has left a deep impression ever since. She knew what consistency in the spiritual life entailed if she were to aspire to be a witness of Faith.
As our friendships developed, we were profoundly inspired by her journey of Faith. Who would ever have imagined that a once cynical atheist and radical feminist, would not only have a deep reversion, but is now a stalwart in championing what Pope Saint John Paul famously coined as the ‘Feminine Genius’ and defending the abiding truths of the Catholic Faith.
As a current Theology student pursuing her studies in Scotland, she once shared a particularly striking story: She assisted regularly in sacristan duties, and it was during the purification of the Sacred vessels at Holy Mass that left her convicted of the True Presence of Jesus Christ in the Most Holy Eucharist. After the Purificator had thoroughly cleansed after Holy Mass, the water solution was poured down into a ‘sacrarium’ which flowed directly to the earth. [A sacrarium is “special sink used for the reverent disposal of sacred substances. This sink has a cover, a basin, and a special pipe and drain that empty directly into the earth, rather than into the sewer system”] (USCCB, Built of Living Stones, 236). The display of uncompromising reverence and detailed attention in that moment led her to reflect, “Who must this be?” - a question that only drew her deeper into the Mystery of the Real Presence in the Holy Eucharist.
The beauty of our Faith lies in the reality that all things on earth are transient as Saint Teresa of Jesus (Avila) so aptly puts it. And it is with this insight that we know physical distance changes nothing in the substance of our friendships, grounded in the love of Our Lord Jesus Christ. As Tara continues to pursue her vocation according to the Lord’s will, the Apostolate entrusts her to the Divine Bridegroom, under the maternal mantle of Our Blessed Mother Mary. “Tara, we remain united with you in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.”
As the newly Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati says, “Verso l'Alto!” (To the heights)
