everyone's mother
by Bob Horning

Theresa Henderson is the mother of six grown children, and has 16 grandchildren. She has been a registered nurse since 1973, and an anesthetist for 29 years. During the last 10 years, she has had an additional calling – passing on the faith to grade-school children.

I love seeing the eyes of the children light up with joy when they learn and understand something about God; and then when they do something with what they learn. I want to help them get to heaven by understanding their faith, and through having a relationship with the Lord. I want them to learn Scripture, and I tell them that Catholicism is based on the Scriptures. That way they can defend the faith. I also show them how the church is centered on the Eucharist. At present, I have 17 fourth-graders. This year they are learning to talk to God, with and without the help of a prayer book, and how to receive Jesus in Communion. We also are focusing on the saints, the liturgical calendar and Scripture.

I try to teach at their level to keep them involved and interested. At the start of class, we have a routine in which I ask, “Who are you?” They respond, “We are saints in the making.” Then we say a decade of the rosary for their intentions. We also pray a Hail Mary for terrorists, that their hearts will be changed. I tell a lot of stories, changing my voice for each character. I use aids, like the icon of Our Lady of Guadalupe on the wall, and say to them, “This is your mother. She loves you and is happy you want to learn about Jesus.” Every year I invite a priest to come with his vestments and explain why he wears each one. And, I am all the time giving them things like Bibles, holy cards, rosaries, prayer books, pens, rulers, you name it. You know how kids like to receive things.

Some families are teaching the faith at home, so their children already know a lot. Some know nothing. But at this age they are like sponges, soaking up everything. There are two parents who come regularly with their children so they can learn, too. One parent of a boy who is having trouble in school asked me what I do differently in the class that allows him to learn. I explain that the kids learn better if they know they are important – important to the church – and know that God has a mission for them. So I try to make everyone in class aware of something special about each child.

I don’t have much formal training as a catechist. But I did have 12 years of education from Dominican nuns – plus learning from my mother and grandmother. We walked four miles each way to Mass every day. My grandmother would tell me that during Communion Jesus is coming down from the altar to live in me. I have also learned about catechesis from the evangelism I do at work.

I work at a medical center. For eight years I was clinical director of the Acute and Chronic Pain Service, the unit for those with six months or less to live. I would ask all the patients if they would like me to pray for them. No one said ‘no.’ Once I prayed over a Protestant lady who had neck cancer. She was touched deeply. Sometime later, she told her family and me that she wanted me to do the eulogy at her funeral. I was the only African-American there. When I gave the eulogy, everyone was amazed, but I didn’t know why. Afterward, I was told that she had hated black people her whole life, and wouldn’t even walk on the same side of the street as them.

No one has ever said anything to me about praying with the patients and staff. In fact, my boss tells me to keep praying. I even give out Bibles at work. One time, a rosary fell out of my pocket. A technician saw it, realized I was Catholic, and we began talking about Catholicism. Turns out she had been away from the church for 35 years. As a result of our conversations, she is back practicing her faith.

I try to live my life in a way that people will want to imitate me. I try to love them where they are, not attempt to change them. There are a lot of people waiting to hear the truth. If we don’t step out for God, nothing will happen. If I can give them God’s love, it changes them.

One last thing about work – in the medical community, abortion is, of course, a big issue. I tell those who favor abortion that 62 years ago my mother was raped. Should she have aborted me?

Every year I go on a mission trip with the Filipino Medical Society. We go to the barrios three to four hours from Manila, where the hospitals have nothing. We take along supplies and equipment donated from hospitals here. While there, we live like the poor people. We live out of our suitcases because the hotel rooms have no furniture. The mattresses sag. The ants and lizards are our companions. If we are lucky, there is a window air-conditioning unit. It gets hot in the Philippines in the summer.

The catechesis there is living out the Gospel, giving God’s love, and caring for the people medically. We do hundreds of free surgeries that the people would otherwise have no chance to receive. They are very grateful. It’s one way they learn about God. I tell people here that if you don’t believe in God or prayer, go on a mission trip. We are the answer to the prayers of the poor who have been begging Jesus and Mary for help.