Full name: Anna Christine Hahn

Age: 30

State-in-life and Occupation: Blissfully engaged (wedding on December 15, 2018), living with Crohn’s Disease and working full-time as the Director of Marketing & Digital for a company that is continuously striving to provide the highest quality solutions for natural digestive care.

Location: I live where people vacation, in sunny Sarasota, Florida.

Educational background: Bachelor of Art in Communication from Florida Gulf Coast University & Masters of Science in Internet Marketing from Full Sail University

How does your Catholic faith affect the way you live your day-to-day life?

Prayer - all day, every day. As a cradle catholic, I didn’t realize until later in life what a gift of being raised with the foundation of catholicism is. Though I’ve experienced great pain in my life, my suffering was not nearly has trying had I not had the presence of Christ. I love the Sacraments. I examine my conscious every night before bed, and receiving messages of faith in deeper and more meaningful ways.

Tell us about a moment in your life when your Catholic faith transformed your understanding of yourself, your purpose and others.

The past 18 months have been a huge transition period of my life. I went through a divorce, lost almost everything I had worked for in my life, dealt with an autoimmune disease, got an annulment, and had the stress of a demanding job. On paper it sounds exhausting, but it was beautiful because of God’s grace. He opened doors to new love, a new job, and a life full of meaning - and not just stuff. The struggle brought me back to being me. I had lost a lot of myself and my faith during my first marriage.

What lesson did you learn from that moment?

I tell people “if God brings you to it, he’ll bring you through it,” but when you’re really weathering the storm it can be hard to adhere to your own advice. It was reaffirming to me to learn that the fruits of the holy spirit never left me, I had left them.

How do you grow in your Catholic faith?

I’ve been working on praying the rosary more, and focusing on doing this during my runs really helps provide a meditative state. I pray in my car, in the shower, while I’m cooking. I am trying to live my life as one big love letter to God.

As my fiancé and I prepare for the sacrament of marriage, we’re enjoying learning more about the rite of marriage. We bought a couple of devotionals to do together to help us grow in our faith.

What do you do for fun?

Go to the beach as much as I can, take class at Orange Theory Fitness, Cook yummy plant-based meals, or relax with a good book and a glass of red wine

Three words that describe you — go!

Fun, curious, and committed

Fill in the blank:

My morning routine consists of: Orange Theory Fitness, Coffee, Cooking

I’m currently obsessed with: learning to garden and looking for a puppy

I feel most inspired when: When I’m learning and growing. I love that there are so many resources at our fingertips to connect.

My favorite part about my life right now is: All of it! I love that I live in a beautiful place, with the love of my life, my parents are close by, I’m in a gorgeous home and I have a great job. My blessings are abundant!

The advice I would give to the millennial Catholic woman is: Trust in the Lord and know that your plan is unique for you - don’t compare yourself to where others are. With all of the influence of social media, it’s hard to not compare or feel jealous, even envious, of others. It will all happen for you in God’s time and if you wait for it, it will be exactly what you need.