About Fr.Joe  Landi:  Out of the World and Into the Kingdom--His journey to priesthood by Rissa Singson.

Dear Diary... In Paris, France, Lance Armstrong, 27, not only beat the cancer, which had spread to his abdomen, lungs and brain in 1996, he beat his closest competition by 7 minutes and 37 seconds to become only the second American to win bicycling’s premier event, the Tour de France.

         In 1953 their only child, Terry, Lance’s father, was born and Nel took on another role—typical mother of the 50’s. While being instrumental in helping her husband’s career, she turned her attention also to Terry’s maturing and eventually to Lance’s.   At 12 Lance won the triathlon and soon saw himself smiling back from the Wheaties box at the breakfast table. "Lance was very focused even as a child," Nel recalls. "He spent the summers with us and loved vacation bible school—not only ours, but in the neighboring churches, too. Lance would sit on the piano bench with me on Sundays while I played during Ray’s service. He knows the words to all the Christian songs.
          "Ray liked it when I played at his services—we were always together. However, he made it clear when he was being considered for a ministry position that ‘organist-wife’ was not included. If one was needed and I was available, I was to be paid for my services, too."

         Being in the background, suits Nel. At the dinner table over a period of seven nights, I sat next to her and was soon aware of her ability to guide the conversation to her husband. During their 49 years together, I suspect it is an ability that has been an assist to Ray, who is not the least bashful about talking about his many accomplishments, which are staggering.

         Still active in ministry, the charismatic Dr. Ray Armstrong is presently Director, Pastoral Care Development at the Mc Cuistion Regional Medical Center in Paris—a member of the Presbyterian Health Care System. Recently he was named "one of the 50 most important people of the decade" by the Paris Times. He was instrumental in 27 organizations in Paris, both religions and civic. He also directed the battle for right-to-work laws in Kansas and Oklahoma. Through it all, Nel was there supporting Ray in whatever project he undertook. She exemplifies Christ’s teaching of serving others.

         The Catechism (l534) teaches that the sacraments, Holy Orders and Matrimony, are directed towards the salvation of others; if they contribute as well to personal salvation, it is through service to others that they do so. They confer a particular mission in the Church and serve to build up the People of God. Nel and women of her generation typify that service.

         Today’s married woman is more likely to have an active career outside the home than those of Nel’s generation. Because of commitments to their careers, today’s wife and mother may not have time to be as supportive to their husband’s careers and children as Nel‘s generation did. That gap is being filled for grandchildren, at least, by grandparents who have the time and money to devote to them.

         Grandmothers now-a-days are stepping into many functions with grandchildren that mothers once did. What’s more, they seem to have an almost magical effect upon the moral and spiritual development of their grandchildren in the passing on of Christian values.  In Nel’s case, her contribution has been considerable. While she never won the Tour de France or was voted one of the most important people of the decade, she and others of her generation made a considerable contribution to those who did.

          So, we pick Glennell Armstrong as our All American Girl—wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, to represent those important women of the decade who served Christ by serving others.

Fr. Joe Landi
is a Parochial Vicar at St. Cecilia Parish, San Francisco, the Archbishop's Liaison to the Charismatic Renewal, the Editor of the San Francisco Charismatics, and Board Chair of Sierra Point Credit Union, South San Francisco, serving the Christian community, parochial and government schools in San Mateo County, and the Charismatic Renewal.