Saturday marked the second all-parish retreat at St. John the Evangelist, welcoming our neighbors from St. Gabriel and St. Michael (soon we’ll be known as the St. Carlo Acutis Family of Parishes) to join us at the Rooted Series for a morning and early afternoon of prayer and reflection.
This year’s presentation went in an entirely new, but still fascinating, direction, as Dr. Ashley Theuring from Xavier University led a discussion of trauma – its definitions, effects and the responses to it. She did so by comparing it to the crucifixion, empty tomb and resurrection of the risen Lord, perfectly timed with the start of Lent this week.
I was asked by Deacon Michael Montgomery, our parish’s director of adult faith formation, to lead a small group discussion, a first for me. Thanks to active participation from each thoughtful and considerate member of our nine-person group, my maiden attempt seemed to go off without the conversation causing major psychological injuries or detouring into blasphemy. As you can see, I set the bar relatively low.
Thanks again to Dr. Theuring and all the folks from the parish who made this thought- and empathy-provoking event possible.
52 Masses 