Mary Miller Catholic Parish Recipient Our Lady of Grace Parish, Parkton, MD

From Laurie Denz, Nominator:
How do you get youth and teens excited about the stories of the Bible and their Catholic faith? It's easy; you put them on stage. Through the inspiration and enthusiasm of Mary Miller, the youth and teens of Our Lady of Grace have been given the opportunity to experience a deeper meaning of the Bible and their faith. During the Christmas season of 2004, the community was overwhelmed by the message portrayed in the Christmas musical,"Noelle the First." The performance was directed, choreographed and included original music written by Mary Miller. Mary, working with a group of approximately 80 youth and teens, used the words and songs of "Noelle the First" to help them understand the true meaning of Christmas.

Throughout the play, a young angel struggles with his faith in God. Through the help of friends and God, the young angel realizes the magnificence of God being born as man to free all humans from sin, and that God, in the person of Jesus, will sacrifice His life for all of mankind. The teens of our Parish played the main roles in the production. As they worked with Mary through the dialogue and music, they gained an understanding of the true meaning of Christmas. They learned that the gift of Christians is not a material possession wrapped up with ribbons and bows, but is the "presence of God" in Jesus Christ. Additionally, the teens realized that the gifts that each of them possess were given by God and should be used to fulfill God's work. The teens, through their gifts of acting and singing, provided a performance that moved the audience. It was Mary Miller's unwavering trust in God that allowed her to give so completely of herself even during a time of her own serious illness. Mary provides for the teens the empowerment to stand and profess the Good News of Christ through the use of drama.

The experience of the first play was so well received by the youth and teens of the Parish that two additional productions have followed, both developed and performed under the leadership of Mary. The second production, "God Matters" allowed the teens to portray various stories of the Bible in a manner that was truly original. The lessons of the Bible were acted out in a way that brought new meaning to the teens' everyday lives. They learned that they too can be the Good Samaritan or one of the friends who helped the paraplegic into the house where Jesus preached in order to be healed both spiritually and physically. The teens now know that the teachings of the Bible are not foreign or only intended to be studied in a religion class, but are to be understood and lived as daily examples of the love and forgiveness of God.

The Parish's most recent production was the true story of Mary, Joseph and the birth of Jesus. In this production, Mary Miller challenged the teens to understand the humanness of Mary and Joseph, the intrepidities that Mary first experienced, the doubt that initially gripped Joseph, and how with God's assurance and love they overcame their fears to become the Holy Family. This powerful message produced many productive discussions between the teens, Mary Miller and their parents. The production provided an opportunity for questions of why God permits suffering and pain to occur if He truly loves and cares for us. This questioning took on a deeper meaning for the teens as they struggled at the time with the loss of one of their peers due to an automobile accident.

During the past two years, Mary Miller has worked with the teens to provide an opportunity for open dialogue about their faith. She has helped foster a greater appreciation among them for the Catholic Church and its teachings. Many of the teens of the Parish have invited friends to participate in the drama productions. They have also been encouraged by Mary to become involved with many of the other ministries of the Parish. Through Mary's strong faith, inspiration and deep love, she has provided a safe and trusting environment for the teens which allows them to understand their faith and to practice the Church's teachings. For these reasons, I truly believe that Mary Miller is an Ambassador of Christ.