Some Team Photos

Hello everyone! This is Kevin and I'd like to write a short post about some of the happenings with the team. This past weekend a storm blew through the Fox Valley. Menasha and Appleton were affected and Mt. Tabor Center's roof took a beating. Pieces of the roof flew off and made a mess in front and even hit St. Mary's Elementary School next door:

On Monday, the team had dinner with friends of SPIRITUS, the Masons: Then the team had two events yesterday. The first was formation and lunch with Bishop Robert Morneau, auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Green Bay: The team then went over to the Foords' house for a cookout and surprise birthday party for Katie Kolega: John Paul Foord shared an important moment...with Katie's permission: Erin stole a few moments with the newest edition to the Foord family, David Anthony: I hope the above photos help you get a sense of what we've been up to when we are not on retreat. For retreat photos, please click here.

-Kevin Symonds

SPIRITUS Team Retreat

Hello Family & Friends of SPIRITUS!

The team has just returned from its team retreat at the St. Joseph's Formation Center of Catholic Youth Expeditions (CYE)!

The retreat offered the team a much-needed opportunity to rest, recharge and relax from its otherwise busy schedule.

The theme of the retreat was on Grace.  Miss Peggy Duemling, Women's Formation Advisor of CYE and former driver for Bl. Teresa of Calcutta, delivered the keynote addresses.  Miss Duemling focused upon Grace as Gift and offered words from Mother Teresa on the subject.  Photos were taken of the talk:

 Later that night, the team had a chance to unwind with some swing dancing.  This was Paul's first time getting into swing dancing and he did quite well.  Here is a photo of Paul & Katie:

On Friday morning, the team got to play a game of baseball outside on Frassati Field.  Here is a photo of Emily as catcher:

After the game, the team had lunch and an opportunity to see some calves at a local farm.  Here is a photo of Katie with Fr. Quinn Mann at the pasture:

At the end of the retreat, the team took a group photo with the CYE missionary interns (MI's):

Last but certainly not least, throughout the retreat there was Holy Mass, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and opportunities for Confession.  An audio recording of the O Salutaris Hostia during Adoration was made and is reproduced below for your listening pleasure (with added text-to-video):

As the team enters into the "home stretch" for retreats, please remember to keep them in your prayers.  Prayers are felt and appreciated.

-SPIRITUS

(Kevin Symonds)

Franciscan University Career Fair (Part Two)

Hello Everyone! Katie Kolega & I travelled to Franciscan University of Steubenville for the annual career fair last week. We left early in the morning (3:30 CST) on Tuesday March 29th and stayed until 8:10 a.m. (EST) on Friday, April 1st. The trip down was long but it was good time to talk with God and each other. I would like present you with some photos of our trip.

This first photo was taken after the 4:45 p.m. Mass. We ran into SPIRITUS-Alumnus, Nick Coombs who was at the University also for recruiting purposes with his new job in the Dakotas):



After the career fair (Weds., March 30th from 10-3), Katie had a little fun up at Egan Hall, including a celebrity moment outside the office of Dr. Scott Hahn:

For privacy reasons, I have blacked-out Dr. Hahn's contact information. Katie & I had the opportunity to talk in a couple of classes, briefly, about what life is like after Steubenville and share the work we do with SPIRITUS:

On Thursday the 31st, I took a photo of myself on the set of Franciscan University Presents: Then, on Friday morning, Katie & I had breakfast with my Household, the Brothers of the Eternal Song: All in all, we had a fun trip. Perhaps we will write individual blog entries about the experience itself.

A Challenge...

Peace of Christ to you! Thank you for your prayers--they have been needed and felt. Sometimes it can be very exhausting trying to show someone the beauty and perfection of God's love when they have had no experience of it thus far in their life, and have never really understood what the words "God loves you" mean.

This weekend I met students that did not necessarily believe in God. In fact, when I asked them whether they believed in God, they said, "halfsies". They told me they don't really know if He is up there--He might be, that would be nice, but there's no way to know if anything in the Bible is true. The Passion could be totally made up after all, they said--it seems kind of crazy to claim that the body disappeared. And then to say that Jesus ascended makes no sense at all, because what is it to ascend into the clouds? That's totally weird.

What was I thinking this whole time? Praise God that they can be honest, and praise God that they aren't faking belief right now. But what work we have to do as a Church! These kids are asking questions and challenging our belief because they are longing for them to be answered. Let's do it! Let's answer their questions, and let's encourage them to keep asking! Let's challenge them, because you know what? They like it, and they want it. They are tired of being told that "we can't get into this" or "this is too deep". If we're not willing to go deep and challenge them (and ourselves), we'll lose them...

During the challenges activity, one girl named her own body as a challenge for her, because it was the wrong type for professional ballet dancing. If only she could know that her identity was more than ballet dancer--that she is a precious, beautiful daughter of God whether the dance company acknowledges that or not. Let's not let them go through life like this, thinking that they were created wrong. No more! Let's share the truth--that God calls us to accept His unconditional, self-giving love, and when we do, we find the real, lasting joy that we were meant to experience.

Praised be Jesus Christ.

Marissa +AMDG+