By Amy White
The Texas Catholic
Amy Fraler’s lifelong Catholic faith continually challenges her to recognize Christ in everyone around her, including those who are most vulnerable and in need of support, the Mary Immaculate Catholic Church parishioner shared.
A cradle Catholic, Fraler said her adolescent faith was nurtured both in the classroom — at St. Monica Catholic School and Ursuline Academy of Dallas — and at home, where her family was actively engaged in the life of the local Church.
“My mother made sure we attended Mass every Sunday, holy day, and sometimes in between,” Fraler recalled. “Both of my parents’ families were very active in their parishes and volunteered in their communities.”
Although the seeds of Fraler’s faith were planted in the Diocese of Dallas, she cited a move abroad with her husband, Patricio Delgado, as an especially pivotal moment of spiritual growth.
“Moving to Sweden for my husband’s job was an extraordinary blessing and prompted a realization: While God had been important to me, he was not forefront and center,” she said. “The simplicity of our life in Sweden and the Swedish emphasis on balance and living in a way that was respectful towards all forms of life inspired me to truly integrate my faith into all that I did.”
Spiritually revived by the experience, Fraler decided upon returning to Dallas to pursue a Master of Religious Education from Loyola University New Orleans.
“As that progressed, I knew there was data about Mass attendance, doctrinal knowledge, and service learning, but I wanted to know: Who loves their neighbor as themselves? And how did they get there?” Fraler said.
After she encountered an article about the Righteous Among the Nations — Holocaust rescuers who helped Jews despite tremendous personal risk and without seeking anything in return — she felt inspired to dig into the topic academically. Currently, she is a religious educator and doctoral candidate in holocaust and genocide studies at Gratz College, as well as a third order Franciscan.
“I love the threads of grace in each of their stories, how they vividly embody the Gospel call to love our neighbors and lay down our lives as Jesus did, yet they do so through a broad spectrum of behaviors, roles, and choices,” said Fraler, referring to the Righteous Among the Nations. At the same time, she said, her studies also required her to grapple with some of the darkest moments of human history.
“Sometimes, the readings were so horrifying that I had to take a break after only one paragraph,” Fraler said. “Building a practice of continual prayer and reflection was essential for me to continue this work.”
Today, Fraler gives presentations about the Holocaust rescuers to groups in the local Church and beyond — whether in Catholic, Jewish, interfaith, or secular contexts — including recently presenting a paper about the Righteous Among the Nations as exemplars of synodality for Catholic-Jewish relations during a Catholic Theological Society of America convention.
“I love how sharing these stories of the Holocaust rescuers and the research on their formation evokes wonder and hope,” Fraler said. “One of my favorite responses was when a high school student said that she felt she understood how to live the Beatitudes so much better!”
These stories of profound courage amid unspeakable tragedy, she said, are “a rich theological and pedagogical resource” that could bear much fruit if integrated into Catholic religious education.
Reflecting on the faith that undergirds her study, Fraler said, “I love the richness of the Catholic faith and tradition, how it continually challenges and encourages me to recognize Christ in my neighbor, my family, the vulnerable — everyone — while also recognizing the beautiful and flawed humanity in each of us.”
“I am Catholic, because it is who I am,” she added. “My faith has taught me to see and live sacramentally. It continually challenges and inspires me to love better, to follow the way of Jesus, and to continue his work through mercy, formation, and witness.”
Editor’s Note: Do you have an answer to the question: Why are you Catholic? Email [email protected] with a few details about your story of faith for consideration in The Texas Catholic’s “Why I am Catholic” series.
Cutline for featured image: Amy Fraler, a parishioner of Mary Immaculate Catholic Parish in Farmers Branch, is pictured at her parish on July 1. Fraler shared her story of faith with The Texas Catholic as part of the “Why I am Catholic” series. (AMY WHITE/The Texas Catholic)
