Jack Carver

Eighteen-year-old Jack Carver has always looked for ways to get involved at Mass. The recent Valley grad grew up and received his sacraments at Sacred Heart, attended faith formation, and went to Catholic Youth Camp every summer. All this got him off to a great start, but he points to at least one more thing that motivated him along the way. Seeing how many of his peers at school didn’t really practice any kind of faith helped him recognize how unique and special it is to belong to the Church. It made him want to understand his Catholic faith even better and participate in it more. “As I got older,” he explains, “I got more interested in learning more about why we do certain things.”

Like many kids, Jack started out as an altar server. This kept him busy through middle school, but when he reached high school and stepped aside, he soon realized that he wasn’t ready to just relax in the pew. He noticed that the lectors at Mass were all adults and thought it would be nice to see some younger people reading from the ambo. “I was like, maybe I should put a foot forward and be a role model, or an example.” So Jack volunteered. “I went forward with it because I wanted to get involved. I don’t want to just sit on the sidelines.”

Jack started as a lector in ninth grade and continues to read once or twice each month. And last year, when an opportunity came up to add a second ministry, he was ready to get even more involved.

Most of us are familiar with that last-minute announcement before Mass, “We could use a few more Eucharistic Ministers.” There always seems to be a need, and when a friend encouraged Jack and his mom, Pam, to sign up for the training, they decided to do it together. Last fall, both became Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist. “I’m literally getting closer to the Body of Christ,” says Jack, who sees his participation in different ministries at Mass as both an honor and a learning opportunity. “The more active you are, the more likely it is you actually understand it and take something away from Mass, instead of just going there and being like a zombie, just running through the motions.”

Next month Jack will begin his freshman year at Iowa State, and not surprisingly, he plans to get as involved as possible at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Ames. He hopes that others, including those with no faith at all, might notice how he practices his faith and become more interested. “Almost like being a young missionary,” he says.

Iowa State will be lucky to have him—and Sacred Heart is lucky, too, because during his breaks from school, Jack plans to come home and step right back into action with us here at Mass.