Invitation to the Quiet

At first, I was not looking forward to a weekend retreat. I had experienced a hectic and long week, and I had so many things on my to-do-list to be completed. Despite my anxiety about the week ahead, I found myself at ease throughout the retreat. The leaders of the retreat gave us an invitation to participate in various spiritual exercises, reflections, and conversations. I appreciated that these were invitations and not expectations. These invitations gave me the opportunity to participate in various retreat activities, but to also take time needed for personal reflection and rest. As a person who enjoys talking with others about spirituality, I appreciated one-on-one time with a spiritual director throughout the course of the retreat.

Overall, I am so thankful for this experience because it gave me the time and space to grow closer in my relationship with God. I walked away from the retreat with a sense of hope, renewal, and peace.

Beth C.

Warm Fuzzies

While we think Charis Ministries is pretty cool, there are other fantastic ministry groups doing God’s work here in Chicago. On Saturday, Old St. Pat’s Young Adult Ministry hosted a blanket-making service project, led by Keara Coughlin.

Three Charis Ministries staff members were enticed by the promise of hot coffee and a craft project, so Lauren G, Briana C and I set off to Old St. Pat’s. Keara Coughlin greeted us with a big smile and hot coffee, and told us why we were really there. Keara’s colleague, Padre Orozco, works with prisoners and detainees on the Mexican border who are in need of warm blankets as winter closes in. We became our own community as we learned how to make fleece tie blankets, shared scissors and argued over college football. At the same time, Keara made sure we knew why we were there. She related to us Padre Orozco’s firm belief that as Catholics, it is necessary have the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other; we need to be aware of our faith and conscious of the world around us.

All in all, a great way to spend a gray Saturday morning and meet new friends. Old St. Pat’s and Charis Ministries have plenty more service opportunities to come.

Lauren B.

Finding God in the Everyday

On Thursday night I MC'd the Living Ignatian speaker event with Claire Noonan. She was great and the audience seemed very engaged. Most exciting, it seemed like we got a large number of participants who were new to Charis events. I hope that they come back to more events and maybe try a retreat or two.

Claire talked about the Examen, a method of prayer that is about reviewing one's day in order to find the movements of God in one's life. As a particularly insightful Loyola student noted in the audience, it is a very practical prayer that puts her in touch with God much more than many devotional prayer practices that involve reciting memorized prayers. As a Jesuit, I can certainly attest the value of the Examen in my life--it only takes 10 minutes!--and I am thrilled that Charis brought this 400-year old spiritual practice the some of Chicago's young adults.

Philip S.

19th Annotation

Those of you who have participated in Charis retreats, days of prayers, service trips, etc. probably know that St. Ignatius not only founded the Society of Jesus (commonly known as the Jesuits), but also handed down to us the Spiritual Exercises as a guide for enriching our lives and strengthening our relationships with God. While the Spiritual Exercises are intended to be given in a retreat format over a 30-day silent period, not everyone is able to participate in a retreat of that length. So in his 19th Annotation about the retreat, St. Ignatius wisely said that the retreat could also be given in the context of daily life.

Currently 4 young adults (myself and 3 men who have been active in Charis activities, retreats, and/or spiritual direction) have discerned and committed to a 3-month retreat of the Spiritual Exercises in Daily Life which may be extended to a 6-month period. Each of us has committed to praying an hour per day as we follow through the days and weeks of the Exercises as prescribed by St. Ignatius within the context of our own daily lives. Each of us will not make this journey alone, but will have the companionship of a spiritual director with whom we will meet on the weekly basis. Additionally, we will meet as a community of retreatants every other week to discuss, pray, and delve deeper into the Exercises under the guidance of Fr. Bill Creed, S.J.

For each of this will be a deeply personal and individual journey. We will proceed through the retreat and retreat materials at our own paces and within our own levels of comfort. The journey begins for each of us with a reflection on our lives through writing about and reflecting upon the events which define who we are. And so as we write our own autobiographies and enter into the Exercises, I invite you to also reflect upon your lives and the defining events that have made up your journey.

- Leigh H.

Mixin' and Minglin'--St. Ignatius Style

On Sunday night several Catholic organizations joined Charis Ministries in sponsoring a rendezvous in the tradition of St. Ignatius – back when he liked to party. During the Catholic Open House, nearly 80 people gathered to socialize and find out about young adult opportunities in Chicago.

The Ark Café, a hip new restaurant in Wicker Park, graciously hosted the event in their beautiful and homey dining room and coffee bar. Representatives from 13 Chicago organizations shared conversation and refreshments with both long-time Chicagoans and those new to the Chicago Catholic young-adult scene.

It was terrific to see so many people excited about getting involved in the Church in some way – whether through spiritual opportunities, volunteering, social events, or a combination of all three. It’s energizing to see young adults seeking communities where they can fulfill Christ’s discipleship in our world today. According to many, the Open House was a great way to get them in touch with these communities. As our Program Coordinator, Lauren Gaffey, said on Sunday, “This is like Google…but in person!”

Thanks to all those who joined us for the event – we hope to see you at future Charis and other young-adult events in Chicago soon!

And a special thanks to the following sponsors: Old St. Patrick's, Respect Life Office Junior Board, St. Alphonsus, Catholics on Call, Diocese of Joliet Young Adult Ministry, Mercy Home for Boys and Girls, and Chicago Catholic Coed Softball League. Representatives of Holy Name Cathedral, ReCiL, St. Nicholas, and the Sanctuary of the Divine Mercy were also on hand.

-Mary Ellen M

Stepping out of our comfort zones

When I first got the email about Charis’ Service Day on September 20^th, I thought to myself “give up a Saturday at the end of summer to do some community service project, forget about it!” As I thought more about it, I reflected on how my parents were married at Our Lady of the Angels Parish in 1970. It might not be a bad idea to go back to the neighborhood where my mom and grandparents first immigrated to America. No longer a parish but now a rejuvenated mission, the Mission of Our Lady of the Angels is dedicated to doing good works to the neighbors of that west side neighborhood.

I had heard so much about Fr. Bob Lombardo, CFR and his progress at the Mission. I freed up my schedule and decided to participate. About four miles west of my house, I have not ventured out to this part of the west side. One hears about the theft and the drugs and the gangs and forgets about the real need of the good people that live in these poverty stricken neighborhoods.

I was asked to help sort and fold children’s clothes that were donated. I can’t say that I ever folded clothes sized newborn to 2T. What does 2T stand for anyway? I always think the interesting part about volunteering your time is that you never now what you will be asked to do. Although I will not get to meet the children or parents that would benefit from my service, I imagine the smiles on the mother’s faces knowing that their children have warm clothes this winter.

God calls us to perform acts of charity, through pure love for Christ. From the Catechism of the Catholic Church 1822: Charity is the theological virtue by which we love God above all things for his own sake, and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God. 1826: Charity is superior to all the virtues. It is the first of the theological virtues: "So faith, hope, charity abide, these three. But the greatest of these is charity."

I am glad I was able to volunteer at the Mission. I got an understanding of how they are trying make a difference in the neighborhood by having an active Catholic presence. Reflecting on my time there begs me to question: “How can I perform acts of charity on a regular basis, daily basis, continuous basis?”

-Lou S.

Service Trips--Looking Back and Looking Forward

This past Sunday a group of us gathered to remember our experiences from past Charis Ministries service trips. It was a great opportunity to share pictures and memories from the trips and catch up with people whom I haven’t seen in a while. Those of us who went on one or more of the service trips formed a great sense of community with each other over the course of the week-long trips, and it was great to renew that sense of community. We shared a lot of stories about our experiences from the trips, and there was plenty of laughter exchanged. It was fun to relive memories from the service trip to Idabel, Oklahoma that I was part of in 2004 and to hear stories from other service trips that I was not part of.

Several of us commented that sharing our memories from the service trips has inspired us to renew our commitment to volunteering. It’s easy to get burnt out on volunteering or to let a busy schedule get in the way, but getting together with other volunteers to have fun and reflect on your collective accomplishments is a great way to renew your enthusiasm and commitment to volunteering. This gathering was a fun opportunity to reflect on past service trips and to look forward to future trips.

-Jared W.