‘Thursday 28 January, 2016 ‘To whom it may concern, am writing to you today to share some personal insight into Rachel Miller, Through my personal relationships ‘with her extended family and my understanding of her passion for the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) program, I believe Rachel to be a strong candidate for the Father Michael Scanlan scholarship. have known Rachel's extended family since my very first parish assignment at St. Jude Catholic Church in Sandy Springs, Georgia. Her grandparents, Frank and Yvonne Murphy, and their seven daughters welcomed me into their spiritual home and were very supportive as I grew into my new life as a parish priest. Throughout the years, [have witnessed this family grow to its current size of 37 actively practicing Catholics of all ages. Ihave also been present for some of the hard times they faced as one ofthe priests who celebrated Yvonne's funeral Mass in 2002. Rachel's aunt Janice worked with me at St. Brigid Catholic Church and another aunt, Laura, was my doctor. Through my personal relationships with many of her family members, I can attest that Rachel is part ‘of a strong Catholic family. (One of the strongest expressions of how this deep rooted faith has impacted her life is her personal devotion to the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program. CGS is a Montessori-based Catholic Sunday School Program. The children are grouped by age into three levels. Each Sunday, the children gather in their atrium, a special place prepared for them to build a relationship with God, and work with material that is appropriate to their age. Itis a powerful program in the way that the Holy Spirit comes to each participant in an intimate and personal way. 1 can personally witness to the importance of this program in the formation of our youngest Catholics. Rachel has been active in CGS since she was four years old. She has completed two 90 hour training courses to become certified asa level I and level II Catechist. Since seventh grade, Rachel has progressed from an assistant, toa Catechist in lovel Ito a lead Catechist in level Il She has a unique perspective to share with the children, having started as a CGS participant and now asa trained Catechist, Her dedication to this program is admirable especially asa teenager willing to give so much of her time and talent to her church. Rachel's passion for her faith shines through as she strives to pass it on to each and every child she encounters. It is a wonderful gift for the children to have someone closer to their age sharing in their journey. Rachel is a true Catholic role model. Thighly recommend Rachel for the Father Michael Scanlan scholarship. In the light and the love of the Lord, eae + FP Vg — ‘¥ Most Reverend David P. Talley, MSW. JCD. ‘Aucliary Bishop of Allanta BDTezm ‘ Fusild give you anew heal “Hor Lake PaRK DRIVE SE SMYRNA. GEORGIA 300808852 TL 408920 755 4X 404-920-728 - WW WARCHATLCOM