It's nearly a week after All Saints Day, but I have special cause to remember two remarkable ladies from my home parish of Saint Timothy Lutheran Church in Forest Park, Georgia.

Erika Stull was born in Germany, and lived through World War II as a child in Weisbaden. She wrote a wonderful (and unfortunately, unpublished) memoir of her childhood years, including the difficult war years. As a young woman, she immigrated to the United States and married an American. Denver, her husband, is also a writer. Their faithfulness was always an example to me, and Erika, as my "shepherd," kept tabs on how I was doing in high school and in college. Unfortunately, Erika is not doing well now; she is recovering from a stroke. God bless & keep her.

Sarah Irvin is another dear soul who nurtured me in my youth. She was in attendance at nearly every event that I can remember and gave me small words of encouragement that, though they may have seemed insignificant to her, really planted seeds for me to begin discernment about a vocation in the Church. Now, Sarah, too, is ailing.

I love these dear ladies, and hope that our Lord grants them healing and full restoration. They are truly saints through whom God's grace has shined upon me.