Due to its central location in the country's Midwest, the Basilica and National Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in North Jackson OH, holds particular importance for the Pauline Family of the United States. For 25 years, the annual triduum of the Holy Family Institute has taken place here, generally in the second week of September.
Also, this year, from 15 to 17 September, Fr. Matthew Roehrig, director of the Pauline Institutes for the USA, led the annual retreat for the Holy Family Institute. There were approximately 30 participants in person and almost 25 online participants via Zoom. This year's theme was “Claimed by the Eucharist, Take, Bless, Break, Give.”
The inspiration for the contents of the retreat comes from many sources and texts; one among all: "Being Claimed by the Eucharist We Celebrate" of Br. Scott P. Detisch.
Take: In the Eucharist, God takes what we are, takes all of us, and we must ask God for guidance.
Bless: We are grateful to God for his presence in us and for all the gifts we receive, like the gift of the people that we meet in our life. We need the ability to say that everything is grace.
Break: Christ enters into all our brokenness, sins, pains; brings them into his own, and transforms them.
Give: We must bring and share with others the communion we have with Christ. The Eucharist given, serves to make others become Christ. Eucharist means caring for others, being Christ with others, it means living what we have celebrated.
Two significant moments of these days were the renewal of vows of the couples present on Friday and the first profession of Theresa and Miros Maszczak on Saturday.
This year too, the Triduum was a great time of grace which represented a moment of spiritual and fraternal enrichment for the members of the Institute and for the brothers of the Canfield community.
