Parish Missions, Retreats and more…
I love to learn and I love to ask questions. When I was 17 years old, I made an appointment with a priest and I actually brought with me a stack of books when I showed up for the appointment – I had a stack of questions too! He was so patient and kind; and he answered my questions with depth of thought and a warm intellect. I have grown to understand that with learning comes a desire to share that knowledge with others, and in doing so, learning from those you are “teaching.”
Since 2009, in addition to my music ministry, I have been giving parish missions, one to three day retreats on spirituality and prayer, and I have also completed a program in Spiritual Direction. The missions have been a blessing for me, and I hope for the parishes I have ministered in as well. The music I have written sits very comfortably in this setting: teaching, story-telling and singing songs of faith as an encouragement for others. I especially like to focus on contemplative spirituality and prayer. The retreats are similar to the missions of course, but usually for a smaller group of people and possibly a narrower focus and sometimes for a shorter period of time. I really enjoy giving days of reflections for parish or ministry staffs as well; giving people who give all the time an opportunity to be still and ministered to.
Though I am traveling less these days, I enjoy sharing faith, songs and stories of God’s amazing and transforming love. This is the core of my ministry: to share with others the love of God, and to do so through word and song.