“We walk by faith” is the theme of an upcoming Parish Mission at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Baldwinsville
By Nicole Ossevoort, contributor
Renewing the Catholic faith. Transforming and healing hearts. Inspiring a deeper and more meaningful connection with Jesus. These are the experiences that attendees can look forward to when attending a 3-night Parish Mission at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Baldwinsville. The Mission is facilitated in partnership with Steubenville Parish Missions and Franciscan University and will occur from 6:30-8:30 p.m. October 15, 16 and 17th. A planning team at the parish has been prayerfully preparing for the last ten months.
“Each night will be an amazing journey to renew our relationship with God, to rediscover the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist through Adoration, and to reconnect as a Catholic community in fellowship with our Parish and others within the Diocese of Syracuse,” said Debra Foriero, Coordinator of Evangelization at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.
The event features Worship Leader Kyle Huelsing and speaker Bob Lesnefsky. Huelsing has ministered to thousands of people across the country for the past 15 years, leading conferences, faith rallies, Catholic camps, and retreats. Lesnefsky is the assistant director of Household Life at Franciscan University and also has extensive experience sharing the hope of God’s love – he and his wife, Kate, are friends of Father Joe O’Connor, the pastor
at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.
As part of the preparation, the parish planning team composed a special prayer. The prayer is featured on a prayer card that will be provided to all Mission attendees and invokes the blessings of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton:
Heavenly Father,
thank you for creating in our parish a welcoming and loving family. through your Son, the Way Maker. May this parish mission prepare our hearts for an encounter that draws us in so that we might experience and know the Consolation of the Holy Spirit in a new way.
May our participation in the Sacraments lead us to be disciples who place you in the center of all we do.
We ask this, as we ask all things, through Christ Our Lord, Amen.
Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, pray for us!
Volunteers from the “welcoming and loving” parish family are an integral part of the Mission experience. In addition to the planning team, the Seton Servers will be providing food and hospitality to all in attendance – food and other items were donated by parishioners.
Inspired by the well-known Bible verse from 2 Corinthians, the Mission theme of “We walk by faith” is as much an invitation as it is a statement about the importance of knowing, living, and sharing our Catholic faith.
“St. Elizabeth Ann Seton’s life journey is not unlike our own,” said St. Elizabeth Ann Seton’s pastor, Father Joe O’Connor. “She found consolation and strength in Jesus in a period of great despair and struggle and realized that she had an opportunity to welcome others into the faith. This is a special chance to open up our parish home to those who may be hurting, struggling, or looking for answers. This experience welcomes all of us, even the most broken and the most vulnerable. It invites us to come before Jesus and find a sense of peace that the world cannot give.”
Attending all three evenings costs just $29, and scholarships are available. The Mission is open to all Catholics in the diocese. To learn more and register, visit https://bit.ly/3RCnPQ1.
