Dear beloved sisters and brothers in Christ
In my twenty-nine years as a parish priest, I’ve seen parishes flourish because they have a parish retreat.
A parish retreat takes place on the parish grounds. Although my pilgrimage earlier this month to Jerusalem was a holy time, we can be spiritual anywhere. Parishioners need not travel to a mountaintop to have a spiritual experience. Our own parish is a holy place.
On a parish retreat, a retreat team gives talks and testimonies. They have met weekly for months to prepare their talks. They have become friends in faith.
The retreat participants reflect on the talks in small group conversation. They take part in Mass and confession and prayer. They grow in friendship with fellow parishioners. Most importantly, through the parish retreat, parishioners deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ.
Nativity is launching a parish retreat. It is called “Life in the Eucharist.” Father George Dunne has held it many times at St. Stephen’s in Winter Springs and other parishes. He is leading our first parish retreat.
Their coordinator Colleen Aboud said, “It brought me to a much more intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.” She added, “It brought the Eucharist from my head to my heart.”
The retreat team from St. Stephen’s will give four talks on the Eucharist. The day has time for reflection and conversation about the heart of our faith.
Our first Life in the Eucharist parish retreat is Saturday, December 3. It takes place in the Nativity Parish Center. It begins at 8 a.m. in the morning and ends with the 5 p.m. Saturday vigil Mass in the church.
The retreat is free. There is no charge. It is for adults aged 21 and older.
JoAnn Elder, our parish Director of Faith Formation can sign you up. Call 407-322-3961 or jelder@nativity.org.
Life in the Eucharist has an optional follow-up. For those who want the spirit of the parish retreat to transform their daily life, the follow-up is for them. Look for more information in an upcoming Flocknote, “LITE Plus.”
The parish retreat is like a good workout. It recharges us and gives us spiritual energy for everyday life. At the same time, it is like a spiritual cruise. Breakfast, lunch, and snacks are all provided. We leave our cares behind. We place ourselves in the hands of the Lord and the retreat team.
In Christ,
Father David
CHILD CARE SUNDAY MORNING
We have child care on Sunday mornings in November during the 9:00 a.m. Sunday Mass in room 302 and during Faith Formation 10:15-11:15 a.m. If people use the child care, we will continue to offer it after November.
THANKSGIVING PIE
You can’t have Thanksgiving without a piece of pie! Let us give thanks with Mass on Wednesday evening at 7pm followed by a pie social in the parish center. On Thursday Thanksgiving Day, morning Mass is at the regular time at 8:30 p.m.
CONGRESS
The U.S. Senate has voted to codify the Supreme Court’s ruling that found a constitutional right to same-sex civil marriages. Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee for Religious Liberty, stated, “The Catholic Church will always uphold the unique meaning of marriage as a lifelong, exclusive union of one man and one woman. In doing so, we are joined by millions of what the Obergefell Court called ‘reasonable and sincere’ Americans – both religious and secular – who share this time-honored understanding of the truth and beauty of marriage.”
BULLETIN
For everything else happening in the parish this week, check out the bulletin online.
