Bedzie Wesele!

As I was driving after work from Uline to Brew City Catholic’s Winter Weekend retreat at Schoenstatt Retreat Center in Waukesha, Wisconsin on Friday January 27 2023, I had an unusual sense of calm. Usually going into a retreat like this, I would come in distracted, not be fully attentive, or have my own agenda of what I was hoping God would do. This weekend though, by His grace, I just wanted to give Him my full attention and be open to whatever He wanted to share with me. To just be present. As I checked in for the retreat, I walked over to say hello to two local rockstar Milwaukee priests, Father Burns and Father LoCoco. After a few friendly exchanges, they both told me I should become a priest. To which I responded with a cordial “We’ll see!”. Immediately following this conversation, I walked over to a friend of mine from Kenosha named Jenny. She was meeting a girl named Maya Fidza-something, who was new and didn’t know anyone coming into the retreat. My idea of “just being” on this retreat quickly went out the window as I knew I was going to talk more to this very cute new lady. (Although now I realize that she is what God wanted to share with me). After the initial welcoming presentations and talks, there was some social time before bed. During this time, I talked with a few people then made my way over to Maya, who was in a group making new friends. “What makes your heart sing?” she asked each person in the group. “What makes your heart sing?” This question, along with listening to her speak with this group of people for the next five minutes, made me quickly realize that this girl was different in a very special way. The happiness in her voice and the joy in her smiley attitude had a genuineness that I couldn’t remember ever seeing before. Her and I talked for a couple hours that evening while playing mancala. We learned a good amount about each other. We spoke some Spanish to some bilingual retreatants. I can’t remember if I was trying to play it cool or if I was trying to make it obvious that I liked her. Saturday there was a HUGE snowstorm, which buried all of our cars outside. It felt like a snow globe in the retreat center. Late at night, Maya showed a group of us some Polish folk dances. We also went sledding with some make-do, lackluster equipment (i.e. lunch trays and cardboard) because there were no actual sleds. I may have playfully shoved her into the snow at one point. When I half-jokingly asked Maya if she would join me at my Sunday morning 4 a.m. holy hour that I had volunteered for, she said yes. After praying with her at 4 a.m., I think we both had a sense we were on the same page in trying to put God first in our lives and love Christ. After mass on Sunday, when it was time to pack up and go home, we helped each other scrape snow off each other’s cars which had been sitting in the parking lot all weekend. I made sure to get her number and told her I wanted to take her out on a date. I had a strong yet peaceful feeling driving home that day that if I had the courage to follow-through and ask her out, Maya would be the woman I would marry. This feeling of peace and confirmation only got stronger the more time I spent with her. I asked her to be my Valentine a couple weeks after the retreat, and to be my girlfriend a couple weeks after that. I started learning Polish. What I liked most about her was how good of a mom I thought she would be, coming from such a strong and loving family. She learned to be a leader from years of running Camp Vista and having eight younger siblings. At the same time, she was very receptive to me. The people closest to me consistently affirming her awesomeness made the decision to propose that much easier, which I did on our one-year anniversary of dating. Writing this now, I cannot wait for June 7. Na zdrowie!

I just returned from a two-month hiatus in Europe, and was going through a mini life crisis having to start from square zero after college. Despair led to desperation, I looked up “Retreats Near Me,” and before I knew it, I was on my way to this random young adult weekend retreat. Driving to retreat, I had this weird feeling…”Your life is going to change forever!!” My immediate thought was that I would meet a Polish person from Denver who would happen to have a job lined up for me – HA! Well, however that would play out, this was the first time in my life that I had to surrender my weekend to God, because I had not a clue what to do with my life next. I walk into Schoenstatt Retreat Center, register myself (“Wow! That’s a heck of a last name!”), and chat it up with a new friend. This was my first Brew City Catholic event, so she immediately introduced me to a strikingly handsome young blonde man with the words, “This is Will! He’s a great connector. He’ll connect you with all the people you need to know!” My first thoughts were, 1) He definitely has a girlfriend, and 2) maybe he can connect me to someone who is hiring? I confirmed he was a Packers fan, so he must be cool. We sat by each other for the first conference, and then the next, and then the one after that. Then I was searching the cafeteria for where he was sitting at all the meals. Slowly I started changing my “elevator pitch” from saying I’m looking for jobs in Denver, to also being open to local jobs in Milwaukee... At breakfast, Fr. John Lococo shouted across the entire cafeteria, “Who wants the 4 a.m. adoration slot?!” Will’s hand IMMEDIATELY shot up, and I realized this man’s respect for Jesus is at a level I’ve never seen. I want that too! That day, a winter snowstorm turned Schoenstatt into a snowglobe. After the conferences commenced, we grabbed plastic trays and cardboard as our toboggans and designated a slanted cornfield as our hill. It was an unsuccessful joy ride, but the fun we had was worth it – I didn’t want to admit it, but I was developing a crush on this blonde American boy! The last day was a time for goodbyes and shoveling out cars. Will helped me carry all my overpacked luggage, dug out my t(rusty) little station wagon, and asked if I was free for dinner that week… So began the journey of getting to know William Gustafson. On our dinner dates, picnics and bike rides, I learned he loves to hunt, he loves the Latin Mass (what is that?), he lifts weights and eats...a lot. I loved getting to know the people closest to him - the more I did, the harder I had to pinch myself at how lucky I am to meet a man so loved. He was cute and all, but he had yet to experience the intensity of the Polish in our house. We speak, eat, live and breathe in Polish… and I was astounded with how Will embraced our culture, and treats it as a learning challenge to this day! One year later, he asked me to be his wife at the Camp Vista chapel, and I could not be more excited to spend the rest of my life with this incredible man (who is now more fluent in my native language than some Polish kids I know)! I’m so blessed to have a life partner who reminds me that putting my trust in God allows HIM to unfold the plans for my life, which are grander than I could ever imagine. Cheers to a life with William! (...and a fun new last name ;))