Fr. John O鈥橞rien, SJ, will facilitate this online event for men and women between the ages of 19 to 39 from the St. Therese Institute of Faith and Mission in Bruno, Sask.
The native of Mission, B.C., is excited to bring this gathering back after a one-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The inaugural event was staged in-person in 2019 at the Manresa Jesuit Retreat Centre in Pickering, Ont., and it was delivered to an age group not often offered retreat opportunities.
鈥淚t seemed to me in the Church and in schools that there were a lot of retreats for youth, and then on the other end of things retreat centres offered retreats for older Catholics,鈥� said O鈥橞rien. 鈥淭he young professional or young adults was a somewhat underserved demographic. We were happy to offer an Ignatian retreat geared towards personal meditation upon the mysteries of Christ.鈥�
The promotional poster for the event states that 鈥測oung people are already 鈥榣eaven鈥� in society and uniquely placed to be agents of God鱿鱼视频app mercy and the building of His kingdom.鈥� With this perspective in mind, O鈥橞rien is hoping this retreat will help young men and women discern God鱿鱼视频app plans for their future.
O鈥橞rien also hopes his guided sessions and each attendees鈥� individual prayer will engender an encounter with the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which would be fitting considering June is the month of the Sacred Heart on the liturgical calendar. He points to Toronto Cardinal Thomas Collins鈥� recently published pastoral letter about rediscovering the 鈥渢reasure鈥� of the Sacred Heart as a good resource.
鈥淚t is such a rich, amazing letter about the perennial power of the Sacred Heart devotion,鈥� said O鈥橞rien. 鈥淭his event was already planned before the letter came out, but its release is such a providential tie-in, and I think it is a letter all young adults should read. I found it very inspiring and it primes the pump for prayer and an encounter with Jesus.鈥�
O鈥橞rien, a communication, philosophy and theology graduate of the University of Ottawa, Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and Regis College in Toronto, opens the retreat with a presentation at 7 p.m. ET on June 4. He will also lead three sessions the next day, as well one on the final day.
A key topic on the agenda is recovering spiritual resiliency during the time of COVID. He says attendees are expressing a desire for reclamation.
鈥淭he message and sense that I鈥檓 getting from all quarters is there is a tremendous hunger to spring back from the various patterns, both human and spiritual, that perhaps find us in various ruts or forms of burden,鈥� said O鈥橞rien. 鈥淚t鱿鱼视频app time to recharge our relationship with God.鈥�
Originally the plan was for this event to occur at Manresa, but O鈥橞rien was inspired by his current visit to the St. Therese Institute, and has decided to extend his time in Bruno to facilitate the retreat at this Catholic-Christian centre of personal study, retreats and religious conferences.
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