Last week I told you that CTK is introducing a new podcast as a way of aiding our parishioners’ faith formation. Today I’m very excited to announce the other big faith formation initiative that we’re beginning: a parish retreat program! Many of you are familiar with parish retreat programs like Christ Renews His Parish or Cursillo. The program we’ll be offering is called Light of the World (see https://www.lotwem.org/ for more information), and we’ll have our first retreat on Saturday November 2nd through Monday November 4th.
In conversation with the Pastoral Team and the Pastoral Council, I’ve been looking at a parish retreat program for some time. (COVID most certainly slowed down the process!) Among other things, your responses to the parish survey last year indicated that this kind of retreat program was one big thing missing from our parish. Many of you indicated how your experience with other retreat programs helped to deepen your faith in a way that made a difference in how you lived your everyday life, and I’m excited that we will be able to offer this opportunity to all of you.
The Light of the World Retreat focuses on the kerygma, the basic proclamation of our faith that Jesus Christ is the only-begotten Son of God, who was born of the Virgin Mary, suffered, died and rose from the dead in order that we may have eternal life. This proclamation is the foundation of our faith, and Light of the World will help us to understand it at a deeper level.
I know the first question many of you will ask is, how much of a time commitment is it? The retreat will be full days on Saturday and Sunday, with a shorter Monday evening conclusion. This will include Mass, the opportunity for confessions, talks, Eucharistic Adoration, small groups and other prayer opportunities. The retreat is also designed to lead into ongoing small groups that may continue long after the retreat is done, and many different studies show that small groups are a really effective way for Catholics to strengthen their faith and deepen their parish involvement. So, it is a full weekend time commitment, but it will be well worth it.
You’ll be seeing a lot more about the Light of the World Retreat in the coming weeks, and I encourage you to prayerfully consider signing up. Whatever sacrifice and effort is required to attend, I think you’ll be glad you did!
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