/

Adriana Aguilar: At home in Arkansas

Adriana Aguilar moved to Arkansas from her native Laredo, Texas, last September to accept a job with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She didn’t know a soul. What a difference a year makes.

“I don’t have any family in Arkansas so church was just kind of part of home,” she said. “When I got here I was going through lots of changes, so it honestly helped a lot just to have that constant.”

Aguilar, 25, jumped into parish life at St. Martin Church in Nashville with both feet. She’s secretary and treasurer of the parish council there and has been involved with activities and special events large and small. It’s personal connections she values most.

“(St. Martin’s is) really close-knit. It’s honestly a very large family,” she said. “I’m used to the cathedral in Laredo, but it’s nothing compared to this. At the cathedral, you don’t really know everybody; within a couple of months I knew people. I was going to church parties and I had just moved here.”

She’d advise other young Catholics to make church life a priority even as work and family crowd most peoples’ schedules.

“Honestly, don’t let go of your faith,” she said. “It’s such a beautiful feeling; it’s one of the best things of my day. It’s always going to be there; you’ve just got to make sure you go back.”

Latest from News

Catholics at the Capitol

The 95th General Assembly of the Arkansas State Legislature, which convened in January 2023, included an…

Spaghetti dinner

The Knights of Columbus will host a spaghetti dinner from 4-7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8, at…

Marriage retreat

Encuentro Matrimonial (Marriage Encounter in Spanish) will hold its next weekend, Feb. 14-16, at St. John…