”When I feel broken, I know that’s the only place I can go.” | Shelly Propson Tyshka

Despite growing up Catholic, it was a series of events in adulthood that led Shelly to truly see the power of the Eucharist in her life. Listen as she describes how her father’s life-altering accident, a key decision to stay in the faith when her husband chose to leave it, and struggles with infertility all worked to deepen her relationship with Jesus, her need for the Eucharist, and her embrace of the cross of suffering.

(00:30) Meet Shelly Propson Tyshka, a member of the St. John Fisher University Parish and former attorney, who runs an art studio for people living with disabilities. Hear how her father inspired this work after a catastrophic accident and miraculous recovery. She describes how she was born and raised Catholic with an emphasis on Jesus but that there wasn’t a strong emphasis on Catholicism itself in her house.

(3:33) Shelly discusses how her husband decided to leave Catholicism, which led her to make the critical decision to stay. Fr. Mario discusses how when we look back at moments where we make a critical decision we see how the Lord is always present and moving us closer to Him.

(5:36) Shelly describes how Catholic radio and her son’s strong interest in the Divine Mercy image led her to more research into the saints and the writings of Pope John Paul II.

(7:00) Shelly shares how an experience with the Eucharist during her struggles with infertility helped her to know that God had not forgotten her. She says that this experience also helped her recognize the importance of adoration when there is no other place to go.

(12:20) Fr. Mario discusses how Jesus did not come to make everything right with the world, but his healing presence of love shows us that he’s with us in those moments.

(13:22) Shelly shares about how honest she is with Jesus in adoration, how she spends that time, and her advice for going to adoration whenever you can.

(18:19) Shelly gives advice to embrace the cross of suffering and to offer it up to bring good out of it. She describes how her dad did so after his accident.