Spirituality…
           
                        What is it and how do I get it?

When the Diocese of Lansing undertook the VOICES project in all of its parishes at the turn of the century, a thirst for spirituality was one of the most recurrent themes.  Interest in the topic could best be summed up in comments like these…

”Help me connect between church and community.”

“What difference does Sunday make in my life on Monday?”

“I need guidance in growing spiritually.”

“Help us as Catholics work through practical life experiences.”

Most frequently, parishioners simply asked for parish retreats, mini retreats, Bible study opportunities and formation of small faith-sharing groups.  In yet other cases, there were requests for spiritual advisors and spiritual directors.  The faithful of our diocese may not have had a clear handle on exactly what spirituality was but it was just as clear that they noticed it was lacking in their lives and they were looking for it!

In response to this thirst for spirituality and all that it brings, a number of parishes have been trying actively to fill that need.  Saint Mary Magdalen Parish of Brighton is one of those that has sponsored a number of spirituality groups with program opportunities for women, men and elders.  In the forefront of this effort for the Brighton parish has been Sister Maryetta Churches, OP, a trained spiritual director.  In her view, the subject isn’t all that complex.
“Spirituality is finding a relationship with God.  It is growing in how one experiences the Lord and living my call as Jesus would call me to live it.”

Sister Rita Wenzlick, OP, director of the Diocesan Office of Pastoral Planning and one of the principal agents tasked to deal with the massive amount of input VOICES unleashed, feels the widespread interest in spirituality is a natural extension of what has gone before.  According to Sister Rita, “As children, the relationship with the Lord was generally through prayers memorized and recited.  When we become adults, we often yearn for more and this challenges us to see the Lord in new ways.” 

Sister Rita paraphrases 1 Corinthians 13:11 to make this point, “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, thought as a child and reasoned as a child.  When I became an adult, I put aside childish things.”

At Saint Mary Magdalen Parish, the question, “How do I get spirituality?” Has been answered by offering numerous opportunities, most of which are tailored with an eye toward gender-based preferences.  “Spirituality differs between women and men,” says Sister Maryetta.  “Creativity plays an important role in developing spirituality that will appeal to women.  It is important to them not only to be able to say and hear things but to be able to visualize them as well..”

Each year, Sister Maryetta takes a weekend away with women of her parish.  Traditionally, they have gone to Weber Center in Adrian which offers the weekend in a relaxing and warm atmosphere. 

“It provides the women with the opportunity just to be with the Lord and, at the same time, to grow as a community.  Through creativity – art, music, and dance – as well as sharing with each other, the participants see the Lord with new eyes.”  She adds, “Soft, reflective music challenges one to be at peace and hear the Lord speaking.  The depth of the bonding between the women is indescribable and, when they leave the retreat, they are assured that in each other they know that they will always have somebody will be there for them!”

Patti Conahan, a member of the Brighton parish since its founding in 1993, is a veteran of the Adrian retreats; she has missed only one of them since 2001.  She fully shares Sister Maryetta’s high regard for the getaway’s value.
 
“My spirituality is the central part of my life,” says Patti.  “I find the Adrian retreat a very important event for me because it’s a time to gather and focus on ourselves and our spiritual lives.  It is there that I set the goals that will set the tone for the rest of my year.”  There is a follow-up to the retreat when, in December, the women get together for an overnight and a day-long session, using the time to re-focus and refine their efforts.

Another spirituality opportunity for the parish women is journaling.  Sister Maryetta facilitates a journaling group which comes together monthly to share a scripture reading, to find meaning in it and then to draw out a personal response. 

“Their prayer life has grown as have the women themselves,” notes Sister.  “The time together is sacred as each of the women is challenged to find the Lord in new and exciting ways.  We continuously encourage the participants to invite the Lord into their lives and to become one with Him in a new relationship.”

Patti Conahan also participates in the journaling group and the value she finds in that is underscored by her observation, “It’s so enriching and such a very spiritual experience that, it’s very frustrating for me whenever I miss one of our meetings.  We have become ‘soul sisters’ through the sharing of our deepest personal challenges and struggles.”

The creativity that Sister Maryetta spoke of earlier manifests itself most emphatically in the journaling endeavor.  As Patti describes it, “Often we become a bit artistic as we incorporate drawings in our journals.  As time goes on, the journals become colorful manifestations of ourselves.”

Between the monthly meetings, there may be some homework.  One challenge was to write an answer to the question:  “What do you want from me now, Lord?”  The answers are shared fully and the journals are even exchanged between participants from time to time.  The disclosure is full because confidentiality is sacred and guaranteed in everything the group does.

According to Patti, “What we say there stays there.  Further, while we may not always agree with each other on every point, everything we say and do is underpinned with sincere respect for each other.”

When it comes to elders, the key to spirituality seems to flow easily out of their lived experiences.  The elder retreats are day-long events that include Mass and activities.  Again the element of creativity is present because the activities usually include working with some medium like clay or chalk.  The participants are led through opportunities where they can see and experience God through color.  Recently, Sister led 150 senior participants through just such an experience and there seemed to be only one question for her at the end:  “Why hadn’t you come to us years ago?”

“All of this involves risk, but, if you do not risk, you do not grow,” the sister adds.  “Senior citizens are not done living, they are just beginning a new phase in life and every experience is a gift… a gift wrapped in great paper and ribbon.  Each individual just needs to unwrap the paper and discover what is in that ‘gift.’”

For the masculine gender, the opportunities for spirituality at Saint Mary Magdalen come in the form of the Men’s Prayer Breakfast which centers on men’s spirituality and is now in its eighth year.  The breakfasts are held twice-monthly during the school year and monthly during the summer.  Usually 20 to 30 men gather for breakfast at 7:30 am on Saturday morning.
Perhaps one of the gender-driven aspects of the prayer breakfast is its “do-it-yourself” nature.  Deacon Jim Chevalier, who more or less coordinates the activity, is careful to point out that the program and the logistics for each meeting are primarily in the hands of the participants.

According to Deacon Jim, “We hold the breakfasts in a meeting room under the rectory.  The breakfasts are provided by the men who volunteer to furnish the food.    One will volunteer to bring the meat, another the juice, another the pastries, and so forth.  Someone will volunteer to lead the discussion and he does all the prep work in the days leading up to the event.  Sometimes the research and background that goes into the program is very impressive.”

“Our sessions are conducted to make the most of our time together,” he adds.  “We begin breakfast right on time and ‘kibitz’ during the meal about whatever anyone wants to talk over.  But, right at 8:00 am, it’s on to focusing on spirituality.  The leader for the meeting knows that it’s not open-ended and he keeps us on task.  We finish right at 9:00 am with intercessions and prayer.”

Frequent grist for the meeting will be the readings set for the following day and the group will discuss issues from the readings meaningful for the men.  Not infrequently, one of the thought starters might be the question:  “What does this mean to us today as opposed to 2,000 years ago?”  As compared to the women who might internalize more, Deacon Jim feels the men set out to react to specific situations and look to reactions to those situations which result in a change in behavior before moving on.

Deacon Jim sees these prayer breakfasts, along with the annual retreats for men and similar opportunities hosted by the Knights of Columbus as the primary chances available to men to talk about their faith and the other matters so personally important to their own spirituality.  In these events, the men have chances to meet one another on a Christian basis and enjoy one another’s company.

Father David Howell, pastor of Saint Mary Magdalen Parish is supportive of all the spirituality groups in the parish and that support is clearly evident to the others involved.  Patti Conahan noted that Father Dave never misses the opportunity to offer the Vigil Mass in conjunction with their retreat and that involves a drive to Adrian after completion of the parish Vigil Mass in Brighton.  Likewise, Deacon Jim applauds Fr. Dave’s record of attendance at the prayer breakfasts saying, “He never misses!”

Fr. Howell realizes that people are hungering for more and different ways in which they can grow and that those opportunities have to be provided for those who desire to participate.  He is a constant cheerleader for these efforts and strongly encourages these groups to get more parishioners involved.  “Our goal is not just to give people religion, but to give them the spirituality that is at the very heart of our religious faith as Catholics.”

#     #     #

Contact Information:

TFor more information, contact:

Sister Maryetta Churches, OP
                or
Deacon James Chevalier

Saint Mary Magdalen Parish
2210 Old US 23
Brighton, Michigan  48114-7609

Phone:  810-229-8624