Father Dwight At a Crossroads- A Mission for Life: Prayers for the Oblate Youth Encounter in San Fernando

Monday, July 13, 2009

Prayers for the Oblate Youth Encounter in San Fernando

Our prayers in Texas today are with the Catholic youths from across North America have descended upon the San Fernando Valley this week for the Oblate Youth Encounter (OYE), a week of reflection, prayer and celebration to take place from July 13-17th. Over 200 arriving youths- led by youth ministers from Oblate parishes in states such as Texas, Louisiana, Illinois, Massachusetts and South Dakota- gathered today in the San Fernando parishes of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate to celebrate faith and generate energy for commitment in the spirit of the Oblates.

The Encounter was born from the lived experience of the International Oblate Youth Encounter (IOYE) in Australia in June of 2008 for World Youth Day, when several young people and adult leaders working in Southern California (including the wonderful Mary Immaculate parishioners pictured here just as they left for Australia one year ago) participated in the IOYE in Melbourne, Australia. During that week they met and shared faith with more than 700 youths and leaders from Oblate parishes in every part of the globe.

As friends and partners they traveled together to the World Youth Day with Pope Benedict XVI and Catholic youth of the world. Upon their return, The Oblate Youth Encounter was envisaged as a forum in which youth from Oblate parishes across the country might gather with similar commitment, led by Fr. Stan Zowada, OMI.

“All the elements of the Oblate charism - preaching the Gospel; love for Christ crucified, the Church, the poor; the missionary spirit; the special place of Mary; outreach to those not touched by the Church such as ministry to youth, prisoners, etc.- will be part of this Oblate Youth Encounter,” says our Oblate Provincial, Father Louie Lougen.

1 comment:

UnknownJuly 13, 2009 at 12:07 PM
Hey Fr. Dwight! I was so happy to get your voice message when you were in Texas. Sorry for the heat here . . . hope you are having a safe trip. You are in my prayers, friend! Christy
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Father Dwight at a Crossroads- A Mission for Life

LOS ANGELES & CANADA- For the 15th summer in a row, students from colleges and universities across the country are walking with Crossroads on THREE simultaneous pro-life walks across America, and Fr. Dwight Hoeberechts, OMI, is the only priest among them.

Father Dwight started "the Southern Walk" in Los Angeles on Friday, May 22nd and will complete the walk across America in Washington, DC on August 15th at the U.S. Capitol building. Crossroads also has a Canadian walk starting in Toronto on July 31st and ending in Ottowa at the Canadian Parliament on August 15th.

From the Pacific coast to the Atlantic, these simultaneous walks for life will cover over 11,000 miles, pass through 38 states, 2 provinces and thousands of towns and cities.

"Crossroads was started in reponse to the late John Paul II's call to the youth of America at the World Youth Day in Denver, Colorado to 'build a Culture of Life'" said Jim Nolan, president of Crossroads. "He challenged the youth of America and the world to 'Be not afraid'.

For more information on Crossroads and the possibility of walking this summer, check us out on our website at www.crossroadswalk.org or give us a call at (800) 353-8817.

I want to thank everyone for your thoughts and prayer offered up to this point. It is only the beginning of the pilgrimage, but I am so excited about the things that will happen day by day.

Why Walk?

On May 19, 2009, I flew from the Lowell, MA, area,
where I normally live and have
my Oblate Vocation Office, with my
one-way ticket to Los Angeles, CA, to
begin an experience of a lifetime. Some
may wonder why I only have a one-way
ticket, instead of a round-trip ticket. I
hope you find my answer to be somewhat
amazing and inspiring. Some people
might think I am simply crazy!
When I arrive at the Los Angeles
International Airport, I met up
for the first time with the other eight
members of my group who are participating
in the 15th Annual Crossroads Walk
to Washington, DC. (There will also be
groups leaving from Seattle, WA, and San
Francisco for Washington, DC.) After
three days of training and meeting with
one another, we will begin our perspective
3200-mile walk across the United
States to be a witness for the dignity and
sanctity for all human life from conception
to natural death, especially the
unborn.
On August 15th, our group will finally
meet up with the other two groups in
Washington, DC, at the Basilica of the
National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
for Mass on the Feast of the Assumption
of Mary and then take our final
walk to the steps of the Supreme Court of
the United States and the United States
Capitol for a Pro-Life Rally.
I join the walk across the southern
portion of the United States as the oldest
member of my group. Since I am 46
years old, I received permission to walk
with the other younger members who are
between 18 to 30 years of age. These
younger people and I have decided to
sacrifice the possibility of having a job or
other normal vacation plans to be a part of
this pro-life walk. And while we walk in
pairs for 15 miles to 20 miles a day from
Monday thru Friday, people will encounter
us in many different ways wearing
our white tee shirts with the words
“PRO LIFE” on the front and, hopefully,
for a moment ask themselves what these
walkers are doing, and, more importantly,
what “PRO LIFE” means for them.
I am especially excited to take on this
physical challenge, but I do the walk
with a deep spiritual connectedness with
our Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
Founder, St. Eugene De Mazenod,
who said: “Leave nothing undared.” In
the spirit of St. Eugene, I feel connected
to our great charism to be a witness for
Jesus Christ and speak out in love for the
most poor and marginalized of our society:
the Unborn, but also against the
other realities in the Culture of Death
regarding abortion and euthanasia.
During these three months of walking,
our group will make an impact on
the tens of thousands of people we will
encounter as we walk along the highways,
being a part of other peaceful and prayerful
activities in front of abortion clinics,
speaking with youth groups and ultimately
sharing our story about this pilgrimage at
the many parishes we will visit on a daily
basis as well as on the weekends.
As I do this walk, I ask for your daily
prayers and support since I cannot do this
experience alone. I want to make a
difference in building up a Culture of Life
in our broken society. I also pray that
other young men who might see or hear
me during these three months, may
become inspired to think about a vocation
as a Religious Brother or Priest with the
Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
so as to continue the charism of St.
Eugene and to stand up as a witness to
the dignity and sanctity of all human life.
To learn more about the Crossroads
Walk, check out the Crossroads website
www.crossroadswalk.org, and to monitor
our daily progress from an
Oblate perspective, the Communications
Office will be launching this regularly
updated “blog,” also accessible through the
OMI website at www.omiusa.org.
Fr. Dwight HOEBERECHTS, OMI

Father Dwight At a Crossroads- A Mission for Life

Monday, July 13, 2009

Prayers for the Oblate Youth Encounter in San Fernando

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Father Dwight at a Crossroads- A Mission for Life

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