Wednesday, January 25, 2012

LAST RETREAT AT THE MOUNT

Below is the picture of a very enthusiastic and beautiful group of Brazilian and Portuguese youth from St. James Parish in Newark, NJ.  (My dear friend and classmate from here, The Mount, ...Clement Krug is the pastor there). Actually the last retreat directed by one of us two priests, Fr. Tom Travers and myself...was directed the previous weekend with a group of seven men who were part of a Catholic university group in City College, NY back in the 60ties.  I directed their retreat and spoke on our Redemptorist spirituality of CRIB, CROSS, SACRAMENT and MARY.  I knew that soon, when the Bruderhof Community would become owners of the building there was a great probability that the wonderful statues might be removed from the chapel.   (This has happened.)  So I used all my love of our Roman Catholic arquitecture and the statuary of Joseph Sibbel to develop my themes on Christ's Paschal Mystery.....
The following weekend Fr. Celso, a most joyous and holy Brazilian Redemptorist priest brought our retreat work here to a close with this wonderful group of youth.