Life can pass us by with our busy schedules and we can miss the quiet call from our Lord, Jesus. Sometimes you need to slow down, be still and let the creator of your heart speak softly to you thus you may be changed forever! Karen Parker from Sidney was beyond excited to share her weekend experience, this is her story.
For fifteen years my sister Debbie invited me to attend Cum Christo and for fifteen years I said no. Finally, in 2016, two weeks before the weekend, God told me to go. Well I’m here to tell you that my dreams came true that wonderful weekend. I became a family member of the body of Christ. I can’t thank you all enough for your love and support through my journey of faith and helping me and my family grow in this Catholic Church. My son Jake (his wife as a sponsor) and my daughter Tamira (me as her sponsor) attended R.C.I.A. class last fall both were baptized, along with my granddaughter, and become full members of St. Matthews Catholic Church last Easter. My son Cain, his family and my husband Pat have grown in their faith in Christ. What a JOY! My two brothers, my sister Deb, her husband Ken, along with our adorable parents are amazed at witnessing this Saving Grace of God.
I met Sister Regina during my Cum Christo weekend. I was so broken and she lovingly took me under her wing as my Spiritual Director and has faithfully patched me up piece by piece. I owe her a world of gratitude! Sister Regina and Sister Rita at Emmaus House have many events to offer. To continue building my spirituality I went on two St. Ignatian Adventures and two Retreats. I was invited and attended to two Bible Studies, helped out with the 5K Run\Walk and the Rummage Sale for Visions of Hope.
My life has taken shape in praise, honor and service to the God of our life. After that Cum Christo weekend the Saturday Sisters fourth day group invited me to join them. We meet about twice a month sharing our Apostolic Works. What a lovely group of women. Jan Martineau invited me to help teach the 6th grade Religious Ed. Class and it was so rewarding that I signed up again this year. I learned that it is much more than just teaching the Catholic Faith. As the “Body of Christ” we work together giving to our community: food drives for the hungry, baby items to those in need, Christmas caroling to the elderly at assisted living, the Spring Fling Dance for kids from all over the county. This year we cleaned up and restored the 100-year-old Pauper’s Gravesite for our first settlers to Sidney. It’s incredible to see the amount of love and effort that goes into these activities. I never knew the Catholic Church did so much outside the church!
The outpouring of love from the Cum Christo Community during my weekend showed that I will always have love and support with my new Catholic family. I never experienced that before and did not quite know what to expect of that? To me that was asking too much of people but your love and support was just what I needed to feel whole. I try to do everything by myself but I just can’t and every now and again Christ has to remind me “I know you can’t Karen, but We can.”
I’m finally realizing that “We” means all of us as one family in Christ. I never in my wildest dreams ever thought that I, a black sheep, would belong to a Community of Christians in the Catholic Faith. What an honor! All it took was saying yes to an invitation. I pray that others will say yes to their invitation to attend Cum Christo because it will change their view on the life in the Catholic Church. I think how my life would have been different if I had said yes fifteen years ago.
God sent me back this past year to work in the background at Cum Christo. Sister Regina said it is a call to Evangelize. A chance to show my gratitude and pay it forward to those who worked last year’s Cum Christo. To bless all the new candidates and pray that they will feel the love and support I did and hopefully become a member of this Awesome Catholic Family in Christ. (Read Matthew 5:13-16) Now that I know what goes on in the background I am ready to help again.
Thank you all from the bottom of my heart to the top of my soul. Christ has blessed me with all of you encouraging the Light of Christ to light in me. John 1:4 “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men”. Amen, DeColores, Your Sister in Christ, Karen Parker.
Be open to a Cum Christo weekend. Come and experience your own faith journey with Christ by your side! The three-day weekend provides an opportunity for candidates to experience a conversion process but the primary purpose is to instill a willingness for each person to go back to “their world” and transform it for Christ. Be Open, be Still and Know the Love of God!
The following opportunities in 2018 to attend weekends are:
Sidney Cum Christo:
Men’s Weekend February 8-11, 2018 (Rector- Roy Fisher 406-480-1341);
Women’s Weekend -February 15-18, 2018 (Rectora – Julie Brodhead 406-489-1500)
Laurel:
Renewal Weekend – February 9, 10, 11, 2018 (Leader -Barb Klang 406-839-6110)
More information and applications may be found at bigskycumchristo.org
Submitted by Julie Brodhead, Sidney
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