ST. CHARLES—On a cloudy morning with the temperature at 30 degrees, an enthusiastic group of 125 adults and young people from St. Patrick Parish in St. Charles embarked on the first Here I Am Lord 5K Walk/Run for the Nuns at the nearby Thornwood Community Center and neighborhood in South Elgin on March 8.

The event itself started as an idea sparked by several nuns who were going to participate in the parish’s 13th Annual Here I Am Lord National Vocations Conference weekend on March 6-8.

“We thought we would give it a try and were certainly hoping for good weather,” said Christine Kmiec, co-ordinator of the run.

“We are so happy with the turnout and the support of over 20 sponsors to help us offer everyone here today water, coffee, donuts, pretzels and special event t-shirts,” she said.

The sisters came to the HIAL conference from across the country. They represented 58 religious communities, and spoke to young students and teens attending from various parishes in the Rockford Diocese.

The sisters are educators and  serve the poor, elderly and delinquent teens.

The sisters in attendance set a joyful tone with families while participants registered for the race. The center was abuzz with anticipation.

The sisters expressed gratitute for the host families from St. Patrick Parish who took care of their needs while in St. Charles.

Sister Monica Vianney, OP, vocations director of the Dominican Sisters of Mary Immaculate Province in Houston, Texas, spoke with the children and gave them a one-decade beaded rosary bracelet made by poor children in Vietnam.

Sister Vianney, a native of that country, is proud of her community’s ministry for the poor.

“I have enjoyed the fellowship here at St. Patrick,” she said. “It has been a blessing to speak to children about our faith and religious life and how we can have fun, too.”

The run began with a fervent Hail Mary followed by a trumpet solo performance of the National Anthem by Ernesto Tecuanhuehue, who also ran the race.

Within an hour all of the 5K race participants crossed the finish line and were greeted with cheers for their stamina in the cold.

The first adult to hit the line was Dan Richert, who ran the 5K in 17:26, and Ben Calusinski, age 11, was the first winner in the age 13 and under category at 18:41. Both appeared in good form at the finish and. as Richert said, “I’m so happy it wasn’t zero degrees.”

The first religious to cross the finish line was Sister Mary Gianna, a member of the Disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ from Prayer Town, Texas.

More than $2,500 was raised, and net proceeds from this inaugural event were split between a religious community present on Sunday morning at the run, the Disciples of Lord Jesus Christ, and Casa Guadalupe, a mission in Tijuana, Mexico run by Mexico run by Father Jon Jensen, a former St. Patrick parishioner.

Father Jensen and Mike Zak, Youth Ministry Director at St. Patrick Parish, graduated from St. Patrick’s grade school together. “He has done great work with people suffering from substance abuse and started his own community there,” Zak said.

While there were many victories established by the pounding of running shoes and sneakers on the streets in Thornwood, a number of personal accomplishments and celebrations were an integral part of the event, too.

After she finished the race, Sister Mary Gianna was thrilled. “This is my first ever race,” she said. “I am so grateful to God.” Sister Gianna’s life story is an inspiration and she was able to tell it to the young people attending the Here I Am Lord National Vocations Conference. It is a startling story and life journey. “I am a Columbine, Colorado shooting survivor,” she said.

Sister Gianna was a young girl without any faith and experienced her own bullying situations in high school and on the bus. “It was a scary time and after the shootings, I was at the lowest point of my life,” she said. During this period of time, she was invited by a youth minister to visit a local Catholic Church. “I saw such beauty and faith at that church. I learned to believe God existed and that He had a plan for my life.” At the age of 19 while at Franciscan University in Ohio, she was baptized and confirmed in the Catholic faith. She learned of her religious community while in college then later joined them in religious life. Empowered by sharing God’s love with others, Sister Gianna remarked, “He had an amazing plan for me.”

Entire families took part in the race together, such as the McKinney family of Elgin, who are recent members of St. Patrick Parish. “This was such a great idea,” said Kim McKinney, who was getting ready with her husband Greg, and children Joey, Gabby, Grace and Jacob. As Greg McKinney noted, “Jacob and I are probably going to walk, but the rest of my family is ready to run.”

Jaimie Schulte, an avid and experienced marathon runner, was proud to pin the race badge on her daughter Brianna, 9, who was going to run with her mother for the first time. “I am so happy that we are going to race together today,” Jaimie Schulte said. “We can’t wait.”

Many other memorable experiences were shared including that of Sister Faustina, SCMC of the Sisters of Charity of Our Lady Mother of the Church from Janesville, Wisconsin. It was somewhat of a homecoming for her as she noted that “my home parish is Saint Margaret Mary Church in Algonquin. I am a product of the Diocese of Rockford.”

Whether they walked or ran the 5K Run for the Nuns, a special bond of friendship remained. At the morning’s end, Sister Theresa Sullivan, DC of the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent DePaul, who came to the conference from Evansville, Indiana said, “What a wonderful day and beautiful beginning for National Catholic Sisters Week, March 8-14.”