Qwayne Guevara has recently completed a Master’s degree at the Clough School of Theology and Ministry, Boston College, in the US. She has been involved in youth ministry in the Diocese since 2017 and more recently, led the Synod of the Diocese of Parramatta and the development of the Diocesan Pastoral Plan ‘Behold, I am with you always (2024–2028)’. This is a reflection on her time at Boston College.
Young Dreamer
When I was five years old, my dream was to become an astronaut. I was fascinated by the stars and the galaxy, and the possibility that there could be more for humanity beyond what we could see and understand here on Earth.
That little heart hasn’t stopped yearning. I’m just older now, with life experience and a more developed vocabulary and language that attempts to describe the transcendent mystery of God.
I once read from St Augustine that the greatest adventure one could ever embark on is falling in love with God. It’s been echoed by our contemporaries. For St Óscar Romero, falling in love is the foundation that determines how we live our lives.
My relationship with God hasn’t always been smooth sailing – what relationship ever is? However, the pursuit of God has led me to walk through life with a broad brush of love that I’ve painted over people.
Qwayne at the entrance to Boston College’s Clough School of Theology and Ministry. Image: Supplied
It is love, encountered through the living presence of God, that has led me to live a life desiring to be in communion. It is people that I’ve learned to fall in love with – our humanity, all of its history and all of its intricacies – and it is this learning to live in God’s love that has inspired and continues to inspire the movement of my heart.
A Communal Pursuit
The invitation by Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv, Bishop of Parramatta, and the leaders of our Diocese to undertake further studies in theology at Boston College was a surprise.
As I navigated the work of our local Synod and youth ministry with this discernment, I soon realised that the invitation was not about me – it is the Holy Spirit moving through our history and community in Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains.
I am part of a whole. This profound truth carried me forward in the work and discipline of study. Moving into the rhythm of attending classes, diving into readings, completing papers, and spending time in prayer was a significant shift from the beautiful chaos of grassroots ministry and mission.
It became clear to me that the distance between the theoretical and the practical was larger than I had anticipated. So much of our understanding of faith and Church is not translated into our practical reality. This was one of the most challenging aspects of the study – the vision of the Church reflected in Scripture and tradition finds itself unable to be realised due to various structural and cultural impediments that stifle institutional conversion and growth.
Students at Boston College are drawn from many countries. Image: Supplied
Yet, I am part of the whole, and thus I’m called to be involved in reconciling the parts of our Church that need healing and restoration.
Greatest Lesson
Perhaps it’s the encounter with the Early Church that has further fuelled my passion for faith and our Church. I read writings from our Church Fathers and the witness of the martyrs who were unwavering in the face of injustice, even death. What could compel people to such selfless acts with the deepest convictions?
There is a wonder and awe that this kind of witness brings. For me, the vision of communion in Christ has become my north star. Our pilgrim journey here on Earth is to lead us into deeper communion with one another and with God.
This is what has shifted for me. The mission is communion. The mission is to realise and live out the Trinitarian dynamic and reality of who God is – God who is love, always giving of self, moving towards ‘the other’. I believe this has become not only a personal mission, but is the mission of the Church – a Church that goes out, that decentres itself, and draws us towards the hope in the “more” that God promises us. We are called to be one, and in that we find our deepest identity – we are and come from love.
Applied Theology
It is one thing to know concepts and theories, and another to live them out authentically. The Diocese of Parramatta, I’ve come to learn, is one of the most unique places in the world. Its rich, diverse, and young demographic – full of vibrant cultures and backgrounds—makes up the tapestry of experience and stories. We boast hundreds of languages, traditions, and expressions of faith. This uniqueness invites an application of living out of the faith that speaks to and responds to the people of God here today.
Qwayne was invited to be one of two people to present at Boston College’s inaugural Global Theology Roundtable. Image: Supplied
The studies have opened my heart, eyes and mind to how we could be aligning our practices, structures and initiatives towards God and God’s mission that reflect Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains.
Completing my thesis in Synodal Leadership has provided foundations and one point of reference for consideration on how we continue to move forward in this time of division, confusion and uncertainty. It must begin with personal conversion and a willingness to sit in suffering that leads to a bold and vulnerable hope for all.
Expansive Hope
My relationship with God has deepened in every possible way. I am more hopeful and realistic than ever. I have witnessed and seen how we have failed and continue to fail as a Church, but I have also allowed myself to surrender to the mystery of God’s ongoing work in and through us. While to some it is a paradox, I believe it is the tension that we are called to live in if we are to be like the great prophets for our time.
Qwayne presenting a talk on the Catholic Church in Australia at Boston College. Image: Supplied
We hold with generous compassion the ways of our past, with a willingness to hope in the present, and look ahead to the future towards the infinite horizon. I believe this is where we are being called to experience God’s raw and magnanimous love – in relationship with one another, vulnerable like the dreamers of our youth, looking to the stars and the something more, and hopeful like those who have known deep suffering and have experienced the ever-present faithfulness of God that has called out our courage to keep calling on God to be in our here and now. We live in hope.
