My favourite three words, after “I love you,” are “I’ve got this.”

Hearing “I’ve got this” is enough to gladden my heart, lift weight off my shoulders, and part the clouds.

Ironically, “I’ve got this” is usually a lavish response to a simple request for insight or advice. As in, “Priscilla, how can I summarize our web traffic analytics for the archbishop?”

“I’ve got this,” replies Priscilla, like Simon of Cyrene lifting Jesus’ cross on the way to Golgotha. In less time than it would take me to understand the scope of the task, Priscilla has the analytics in hand, analyzed, formatted, and summarized with nifty infographics. 

I’m blessed to work with colleagues who make “I’ve got this” an everyday event – in word and deed – routinely using their gifts to take weighty burdens off my plate.

I have to start with our senior director of communications Makani Marquis, who taught me years ago that God says “I’ve got this” in everything we do. I now try to hand each worry and care over to God, imagining God responding, “I’ve got this.” Frequently Makani steps in to lend God a hand.

Agnieszka Krawczynski is The B.C. Catholic’s mild-mannered reporter, photographer, and videographer, but she also functions like an assistant editor. She lets me know she’s “got this” from the time we start planning the next edition with 16 blank pages to fill, through publishing day, when we’re frantically tweaking headlines, trimming stories, and writing photo captions. On deadline, Agnieszka usually beats me to the punch, leaving me with completed pages to which I can make only trivial upgrades.

Inca Siojo brings serenity to the job of newspaper production coordinator – seemingly a contradiction. When it’s 24 hours till press day and half the content for our special supplement is missing, she coolly declares, “we’re good.” When we need to fit an extra story and photo in the paper and I doubt it’s possible, she completes the job with creative panache.

Winetta Nguyen was once my assistant, meaning she made sure I did what needed to get done. She’s now one of our digital community managers, using social media in ways I wouldn’t have thought possible, let alone understand. She turns event planning chaos into elegantly designed plans that tell our stories in ways that touch hearts.

Priscilla Ho is the second half of our digital community manager team. She’s our social media guru, posting on our platforms, communicating with our followers, and analyzing our traffic. Like Winetta, she understands younger generations and can translate their thoughts and aspirations for remnants of previous generations like me.

Rina Narciso has her hand in so many aspects of the communications office that no single job title adequately defines her. As graphic designer and coordinator of our parish Tilma digital platform, she works in a world I don’t comprehend. I once thought I really should be offering her editorial direction. All I could suggest was that she stop abbreviating March and April. She accepted my professional guidance with gusto.

Raymond Loretan is responsible for all the advertising in the newspaper and online. He understands my anxiety over anything to do with numbers, so he keeps his communications with me free of figures. We rarely see him in the office because he’s usually chasing down contacts, such is his heart for the Church and for filling our pages with ads.

Finally, Gemma Bonner has been more than our receptionist and circulation coordinator. She was the hub, serving as goodwill ambassador between readers and Canada Post, scheduling and following up with writers, and helping me keep track of memos, files, and letters. She loves spreadsheets, which are my kryptonite. Sadly, she’s moved on to greener pastures. God bless you, Gemma.

And welcome Rachel Nadeau. God’s got this!