Healing retreat opens hearts to God's mercy

Friday, Aug. 12, 2016

OREM — “Pescadores de Cristo,” (Christ’s Fishermen), a group for those battling persistent personal problems in life, presented a three-day retreat at Saint Francis of Assisi Catholic Church from July 29 to July 31.

The retreat, called “Lives Repaired by God’s Mercy,” attracted more than 100 Catholics from the southern part of the Diocese of Salt Lake City, who, filled with joy, hope, praise and prayer, enjoyed the healing retreat.

The retreat was presented by Horacio Trujillo, from Tijuana, Mexico; Father Luis Moreno from Sinaloa, Mexico; Marangelly Gonzalez from New York; Father David Bittmenn, pastor of Saint Francis of Assisi Parish; and the parish’s praising ministry. The retreat included presentations, prayers, opening and closing Masses and Holy Hour.

With themes such as Thrown Away From the Kingdom; Reached by Mercy; I Desire Mercy, Not Sacrifices; Mercy and Justice; Mercy Healing Hearts; and Mary, Mother of Mercy, the three days had the core mission of healing.

“These healing retreats are very important because of the world that we live in. We are preaching, healing, so we can regain the health that we have lost as individuals and as families,” said Gonzales.

For her, speakers at the retreat were instruments through whom the word of God was shared, “healing, but most of all raising consciousness that as Catholics we need to go further. … Healthy families mean a healthy world.”

Father Moreno said the retreat was meant to enrich the faith of the people in their personal and familial lives.

“We start from evangelization,  summed up in a moment with Christ. In this retreat we trust and believe that God is the almighty, but we need to open our hearts to him and we have always to have his word present,” said Fr. Moreno.

He said the retreat had the purpose of opening eyes to an encounter with Jesus, because he is the center of everything.

“If we don’t encounter Christ, we cannot heal, we cannot be free,” said Fr. Moreno.

“Jesus is our savior. He is the one who heals us,” added Gonzales.

The retreat used tools such as kerygma, (from the Greek word keryssein, meaning to proclaim); according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, kerygma “opens space for proper philosophical reflections.”

“The message that we want to share is that we are living in a postmodern world that has its own paradigms and its own way … that makes people change and modify their ways, but as Christians we have to remember that God’s word is prophetic and it is like the sword that takes all fabric and leaves us naked,” Fr. Moreno said. “Let’s allow God’s word to heal us, to purify us.”

The retreat was attended by people of all age groups.

“I needed to hear these words,” said Gloria Mercado, after listening to one of Trujillo’s presentations. 

She reflected on Trujillo’s words that the most dangerous Catholics are those who say they are Catholics but they only just say that; they don’t attend Mass, they don’t go to Confession, they don’t participate in the parish ministries.

“That was kind of a rock that hit hard, … but it is always a good time to really open our hearts and let Jesus enter,” said Mercado.