Pope Benedict XVI has mirrored Blessed John Paul II in his ardent desire that all people, including future priests, truly "encounter" Jesus Christ. With that in mind, Fr. Austin Vetter, Spiritual Director of the Pontifical North American College (NAC), invited a Light of the World (LOTW) leadership team to Rome to present this kerygmatic retreat to seminarians.
A priest of the Rockford Diocese, Fr. Jon Bakkelund, had attended the NAC before his ordination and then attended a LOTW Retreat in Crystal Lake, Il. He found it to be a powerful experience and asked Fr. Vetter if it would be possible to offer a LOTW retreat at the NAC. He agreed to invite a team to offer such a retreat.
Msgr. Dan Hermes, Spiritual Director for the National Light of the World Evangelization Ministries, invited various team members to accompany him to Rome to give the retreat. The team included people from Crystal Lake, Rockford, and Lincoln. We arrived in Rome on Ash Wednesday and, after touring the NAC, enjoyed a walk through St. Peter’s Basilica. The sense of the Universal Church was palpable. Being in St. Peter’s and the anticipation of addressing future priests was an overwhelming experience, one of true joy and awe.
The seminarians were most welcoming, kind, and open to receiving the message of the kerygma (proclamation of the Gospel) along with the witness of life given by team members. Once we presented the kerygma the men expressed how significant it was for them to see it in action from witnesses of Christ’s love. They expressed that the experience of studying theology needed this integration of life witness; thus, they were truly touched by the message of the retreat. Renewing the Sacraments of Initiation in action was also a special moment for them. The experience was good preparation to see how a parish retreat might look once they were assigned to parish ministry.
Small "shepherding groups" were led by men who had been ordained as deacons, and the groups found their discussions to be very worthwhile. Working within the format of the small groups during the retreat was helpful, especially since they are presently forming Jesu Caritas spiritual support groups at the seminary and had no particular format to follow.
Testimonies at the end of the retreat were inspiring. Participants shared many experiences from the retreat that were beneficial for their spiritual life. Many stayed after the retreat to learn more about how to implement the process in their future parishes. These young men were a dynamic inspiration to us as a presenting team.
The homilist at our final Mass with the NAC seminarians cited Pope Benedict XVI in his call for a strong emphasis on New Evangelization for the Church and the call for all of God’s people— priests, religious, and laity —to encounter Jesus Christ, experience a conversion of heart, encourage brothers and sisters to live in Christ, and be prepared to tell others about Jesus and the power of His Holy Spirit.
Like St. Peter and St. Paul whose images stand prominently in front of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, may each of us take seriously our own call to bring the love of Jesus to the hearts of His people here and now. As our LOTW team left Rome, we felt we had encountered Jesus more fully ourselves—indeed, we felt blessed beyond words!
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