.Glenda Peraj, 19, who aspires to be a violin teacher, also aspires to continue growing in her faith journey following years of struggle and frustration that stemmed from doubts about her Catholic faith.

These were doubts that ended at age 16, thanks to her parents.

“When I was 13 and 14 years old, I was struggling to understand what being religious was all about, to understand why we had such set rules, and the concept of God,” Glenda told The Good Newsroom last week by telephone from her college campus – the Eastman School of Music, part of the University of Rochester.

“And through hope and through prayer, especially with my mother who’s a very devout Christian – she taught me the ways of the Lord and she taught me to always participate in church, to always show up with the utmost positive energy,” Glenda added, noting that her mom emphasized the significance of being attentive during Mass and keeping the Lord at the center of her spiritual growth. The family parish is the Church of St. Clare on Nelson Avenue, Staten Island. “I was able to surround myself with a lot of people who were also very devout in their faith – which helps me pursue God in my life even more.”

Glenda said there was no acting out in connection with her doubts; it was an internal struggle. She became an active volunteer at St. Clare, including participating in the Mass choir as a vocalist and, later, as a violinist; she occasionally played her violin as a soloist.

Her parents’ guidance

Glenda is a freshman at Eastman, majoring in violin music education. She graduated last year from the LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, Manhattan, having commuted to the school via the Staten Island Ferry. She said her parents played key roles in her spiritual awakening three years ago, especially her mother.

“Following the words of the Lord was the biggest step to becoming the person that I am today. I feel much more confident now that I know what being faithful is all about,” Glenda said, noting that she’s made friends in college who also keep their faith at the center of their lives. She participates in campus prayer groups and attends Mass at St. Anne R.C. Church on Mt. Hope Avenue in Rochester.

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She is the oldest of three siblings; she has a 16-year-old sister, Elis, and a 13-year-old brother, Orion. Her parents are Angelo and Arta Peraj. She said her younger siblings followed in her footsteps, becoming active volunteers for St. Clare. “That helped them very much with their faith,” Glenda said. The family emigrated from their native Albania when Glenda was 9 years old, settling on Staten Island.

As for her musical interests, she began playing the violin when she was 7 years old. “I feel like it’s my life’s purpose. I really enjoy it. I’ve always gone to music schools, even when I was little. After college, I hope to have my own studio, preferably in a college setting, so that I can give private lessons to people who also want to learn about the violin.”

The pastor’s perspective

Father Arthur Mastrolia, pastor at St. Clare, said via the conference call with The Good Newsroom and Glenda: “We’ve come to know the Peraj family through their volunteer hours at the parish…As the years have gone by, Glenda has become much more confident in the expression of her faith, and in her willingness to witness to the gospel – especially through her love of music…Thank you, Glenda. We really appreciate it.” (“Thank you, father. Thank you,” Glenda responded.)

Father Mastrolia noted that the Peraj family and other St. Clare families schedule volunteer time through an app used for that church purpose. He said the local Community Help App (Cmtyhelp) is ideal “for having the Church communicate with young people through the means of modern technology; it’s very important. It is a wonderful tool for youth evangelization. It was developed by one of our parishioners. It can be downloaded through the Google store.”

The Church of Saint Clare is located in the Great Kills neighborhood of Staten Island.