Northern Deanery retreat focuses on growing faith

Intermountain Catholic

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Women recite the rosary during the Seasons of Faith retreat at Holy Family Catholic Church. IC photo/Marie Mischel

OGDEN — Ninety women gathered at Holy Family Catholic Church in Ogden for a day of prayer, reflection and renewal during the Seasons of Faith retreat May 19.

The Most Rev. John C. Wester, Bishop of Salt Lake City, led the Morning Prayer to begin the retreat. The bishop also joined Father Patrick Elliott, Holy Family pastor, and Father Carl Schlichte, pastor of Saint Catherine of Siena/Newman Center, in offering the Sacrament of Reconciliation to those at the retreat.

Fr. Carl also was among the retreat presenters. In addition, he led the rosary that was recited after lunch.

Other presenters were Thomas Devereux, a member of the diocesan Lay Ecclesial Ministry Formation program and religious education teacher; Jean Welch Hill, the diocesan government liaison and director of the Peace and Justice Commission; and Carol G. Ruddell, chairperson of the diocesan Commission for People with Disabilities and a member of the National Catholic Partnership on Disabilities.

Monica Howa-Johnson, music ministry coordinator for Saint Catherine of Siena/Newman Center, provided the music for the retreat; Deacon Jack Clark gave the closing remarks.

Each presenter focused on a different aspect of faith, and those who attended took away various messages.

For Kim Bigil, a Saint Mary parishioner, the day was a time to listen to others talk about their faith and increasing their faith, she said, adding that one reason she attended was because she wants "to learn more about my Catholic faith so I can defend it. I think right now, especially in this particular time in our world, we need to be strong, we need to be strong in our faith."

Gerrie Junk, a Holy Family parishioner, said the presenters gave "a lot of food for thought." In particular, she said, she liked the information Hill provided on social justice, especially the aspects of becoming an informed voter and purchasing fair trade items to ensure workers receive fair wages. "I want to work on that," Junk said, adding that she plans to look into offering fair trade coffee at the parish.

"The biggest thing that I got out of it was that we need love in our lives; to know that others love us and that God loves us so that we can pass that on," said Jackie Einerson, who attends the Newman Center.

The message that struck Einerson the most was Deacon Clark’s description of the unconditional love he received as a child from his family, she said. "Christ had the apostles to care for him when he needed to be cared for, and that’s something we forget because we try to be so powerful in ourselves, but we can’t without having someone else take care of us."