Birthdays, Babies, and Building Community

Teresa Ovesen stands before the Jesus as a Good Shepherd statue at Good Shepherd Catholic Community Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024 in Colleyville, TX. (NTC/Richard W. Rodriguez)

On Christmas Day about 14 years ago, Teresa Ovesen discovered her charism for serving the homeless while visiting her son in Washington, D.C., with her husband, David.

The family of three had resolved to spend Christmas Day serving others and set off for Central Union Mission, where they prepared more than 1,000 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches “to be handed out to the unsheltered homeless men and women as they left the mission after Christmas lunch,” Ovesen recalled. 

That evening, Ovesen, her husband, and her son, Chad, agreed “this had been their favorite Christmas to date.”

Since that fateful Christmas, “stewardship has become a way of life” for the Good Shepherd parishioner, and her time with the D.C. Union Mission paved the way for her long-standing service at Fort Worth’s Union Gospel Mission (UGM), a Christian-based charity and shelter for the homeless.

“I have this huge desire to be a part of and to share this community with others,” she reflected as she considered her call to stewardship. “How can I share with others this opportunity to look at these people, His people, in the eyes and see them for who they were created to be and are loved by Him just like we are?”

A former member of the Colleyville parish’s Mission Outreach Council, Ovesen helped the parish create ties with the nonprofit homeless shelter. 

“During that time period, we really ramped up our support of that group,” said Good Shepherd’s coordinator of Outreach Ministries, Ray Matteson. “She’s a passionate advocate for the homeless and a leader in the parish.”

In July of 2021, Ovesen started the Birthdays and Blessings outreach ministry at UGM to help others in her Colleyville church gain a firsthand awareness and understanding of homelessness, which is “a complicated problem that involves real people who need to know that people care about them and that there is hope for a brighter future.”

On the third Monday of every month, Ovesen leads members from different ministries at the parish on a trip to the nonprofit shelter, so they may all together celebrate the birthdays of female residents whose birthdays have often gone unnoticed.

“The homeless need to know is that they are not alone and that they are loved,” she stressed. 

Ovesen has resolved to alleviate that sense of alienation one birthday kit at a time. 

“One of the most important parts of serving and living our faith is by connecting people and connecting with people. It is the heart-to-heart connections that help us to share and live a life exhibiting His love,” she said. 

Through the Birthdays and Blessings ministry, more than 150 parishioners and community members have visited UGM and enjoyed a moment of shared joy with its residents.

“It’s been a big hit that’s really had a nice impact on the parish here, and the parishioners do get engaged as do the ladies who are served,” Matteson said. 

With the list of ministries scheduled to join her in 2025 nearly full, Ovesen reflected on the ministry’s three years of service: “I have met many phenomenal people at our parish and learn much from each. God’s light most definitely shines brightly here at Good Shepherd.”

Small touches, big impacts

Along with her work with the homeless, Ovesen has dedicated herself to bringing God’s love in many other forms of service, including volunteering at Cook Children’s Medical Center as a baby buddy for infants in the neonatal intensive care unit.

“These babies are never without prayer,” she said. 

“In my heart, I think it’s really important that we, as Catholics, connect beyond our parish boundaries and lifestyles,” the philanthropist said, stressing how her involvement in service has played a crucial role in the growth of her faith and sense of belonging in the Church.

The coordinator of liturgy at Good Shepherd, Sister Michelle Nguyen, CMR, brimmed with gratitude as she spoke of the small touches of light she has seen Ovesen share with her faith community through her devotion to service. 

“In 2022, Teresa started a sewing industry, and she named it Sewing with Love,” Sr. Michelle said, adding that Ovesen took the initiative to bring volunteers together to teach them sewing skills before taking on large projects like working on the costumes for the Christmas play and redesigning baptismal garments, as well as creating a banner for the church and many liturgical items for the celebration of Mass. 

“If you just come to our church, you’ll be able to see all the things that Teresa did for our celebration of Mass,” Sr. Michelle added. “It’s just amazing. She is very dedicated and very generous.” 

While Ovesen has since stepped down as the sewing ministry leader, she is still quick to employ her talents for her community members, including personally embroidering the parish logo on the aprons of volunteers serving at UGM on Thanksgiving 2024.

“The thing about Teresa is that it’s all about fellowship and building community,” Sr. Michelle shared. “That is why she is always wanting to bring everyone together.”

Ovesen said there is a “two-way street of love that facilitates happiness through the love of God” that she wishes to share with her community. 

“We are all His children, and He teaches us that selflessness and doing for others is key to building strong communities and families,” she said. 

Members of the Birthdays and Blessings Ministry at Good Shepherd Catholic Community in Colleyville pose together while celebrating female residents' birthdays at Union Gospel Mission in Fort Worth on Dec. 16, 2024. (NTC/Christina Benavides)