Parishioner Feature Meet David & Emilie Winstead

David & Emilie with their youngest of 8 children

When I think of witnesses of Christ among us, I think of David and Emilie Winstead. In the midst of the very real struggle of life and parenthood, they are daily walking with the Lord and doing the good work of evangelization in their domestic Church with their 8 children, ranging from 18 months to 15 years. As they live lives of prayer and virtue, they are also beautiful examples of the power of Christ’s love to all who encounter them, especially young parents trying to find their way in the Church.

David and Emilie met in college at the University of Dallas. David is a therapist at Cherry Point. Before marriage, Emilie worked with children with special needs and now homeschools their kids. They often attend the Sunday 8 a.m. Mass, and Emilie brings the kids to the Wednesday School Mass. You can always find them in the Narthex after Mass, chatting with friends while the kids play.

David and Emilie were both raised in the Catholic Church, but their faith was not always a given. For David, it was a high school teacher who convinced him of the beautiful truth of the Catholic faith. For Emilie, it took a little longer.  Her dad once described her as Lieutenant Dan in Forrest Gump on the ship in the storm. She always wrestled in her relationship with God, especially during high school and college. It wasn’t until she met David that she heard the Lord say to her very clearly, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down, and it was completely calm.

Despite being lifelong Catholics, David and Emilie found it hard to get involved at Saint Paul when they first arrived in August 2019...probably in large part because of Covid. Since then, God has been working in their lives and in the parish in beautiful ways. Now they find themselves immersed in parish life and desiring to spend time with their parish throughout the week. They credit this change to Fr. Steven’s initiatives, the vibrancy of the Youth Group, and their many friends at Saint Paul who genuinely love Jesus.

David is currently a member of the pastoral council, and they attend a semi-monthly Bible Study using Lectio Divina. Emilie attends the Well Read Mom book club, where many women of the parish come together to discuss good literature and how it reflects God’s truth. Emilie is overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude. “From Fr. Steven to the deacons, there are so many people who are willing to serve the Lord and bring us Jesus through the Sacraments and Adoration.” She especially loves that the doors of the Church are kept open throughout the day so that she can go and pray in front of the Blessed Sacrament whenever she gets a chance.

David is inspired by Saint Therese. She feels like a sister to him. “She struggled with temptations to atheism, scrupulosity, debilitating anxiety, all while clinging audaciously to the Lord's infinite mercy. She made this massive enterprise of Faith simple.  ”Emilie is inspired especially by Saint Peter. “Even after spending years in close friendship with the Lord, he still failed him and didn't understand him...but kept running back to Jesus no matter what. I'm the kind of person who would jump out of a boat in my clothes. I feel a lot of kinship with him.”

Both Emilie and David have found their vocation is to follow Jesus amid their daily life with friends, family, clients, and employees at the store. David says, “I try to do what Mercy is asking me to do in the moment, which is the Gospel, spoken or enacted.” Emilie agreed, “Conversion is a daily work of the Holy Spirit, encountering Him first to share with whomever He sends to me throughout the day, ...learning to be present to people as He is always present to us in the Eucharist.”

Stay tuned for more parishioner features! We are excited to show you how God is working at Saint Paul! Reach out to welcome@spccnb.org with any questions. We’d love to help you get connected!