Hello family in Christ!
It is so good to be back home with you. This last month I have been blessed with two awesome
international adventures. I want to share a few of my experiences with you in
regards to the mission in Uganda and on pilgrimage in Rome.
#1) God is doing big things in Uganda.
One of the individuals I met was 21-year-old Moses. When he
was 17 he heard a call from God to work to awaken the fire of God in his peers.
I participated in one event he ran in a rural parish. Many youth walked from
well over an hour away to attend this full day of worship and teaching. The
youth were hungry for the word of God. They worshiped with all their heart. I
yearn for that kind of passion in our own church here in Everett.
#2) God is about to do even bigger things in Uganda (and we
get to be a partner).
The catch is these same youth have challenges, many related
to living in a rural region with a depressed economy, but they are not going to
let that stop they from doing what they are called to. They have come up with
numerous projects to collectively generate together the funds they need to take
their dreams to action. All they need is the start up capital to make this
happen.
I will be working with our teens to make that happen; the
young people here in Everett partnering with the young people in Uganda.
The diocese, and in particular one pastor who oversees 24
parishes, sees the call of Christ to reach the scores of youth and young adults
in the area (Matthew 18:5) and support professional youth ministers in Uganda.
During my time there I worked alongside and helped continue to train a number
of the volunteers who minister to youth in Masaka Diocese. Two of them in
particular, Ronald and Francis, have been chosen as part of a pilot program in
which ProjectYM, youth ministers in the U.S. (such as myself), and American
parishes (like IC/OLPH) team up to fund a sustainable youth ministry program
including a living wage for the minister while supplying continued training and
support. This is a model that I believe represents the universality of the
church and the call to support one another as a continuous church family.
Please pray for Ronald and Francis! You will hear more in the future about our
parish’s role in the program.
#3) God loves his church.
In Rome and Assisi we witnessed many wonders of the church.
No, I’m not talking about the beautiful structures like St. Peter’s Basilica or
the Sistine Chapel, I’m referring to the lives of the saints and the way God
worked in their lives.
This is one of the great graces of pilgrimage.
We also learned of the immense was God has protected and
guided his church. It is evident by the events of the last two millennia the
role of the Holy Spirit as our head and guide.
#4) The history and legacy of our church are great.
Not only did we witness the spiritual legacy of the church,
but the physical and historic legacy were also something one must see to
believe.
St. Peter’s Basilica is a structure that aims to call one
into the transcendent beauty of our Lord. St. John Lateran brings to life the
feats and struggles of the Apostles. The ceilings of The Gesu and St. Ignatius,
two Jesuit churches, were mind bending. The catacombs under the city tell the
story of a people of full faith who lived for the resurrection of Christ.
Beauty is often the forgotten transcendental, but the art of
the Catholic church refutes that. Not just in the amount, the scale, or the
scope, but in the continued pursuit of better and better trying to join with
God’s creator nature. The development of news styles and technique through the
centuries is apparent, and it was Christians in the churches who were making
these great strides. Not only that though, through our fantastic guide, Dr.
Elizabeth Lev of the Angelicum, we learned about the way brilliant theology was
depicted in countless layers and artistic depth that all the guidebooks and art
courses completely miss.
transformation of ancient Rome or the ending of the gruesome gladiator games.
The work of the church to shape the world for good is
incredibly evident, from seeing the Vatican astronomical center (where among
other science the observations that led to the Gregorian calendar occurred) and
walking through the some of the numerous catacomb and convent halls that were
used to hide Jews during World War II.
Thank you to all that helped make these journeys for our
parishioners and I possible!
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