September 30, 2018 // Diocese

Around the Diocese: September 30, 2018

Todays Catholic

USF to celebrate feast of St. Francis of Assisi

FORT WAYNE — The University of Saint Francis will celebrate the feast of its patron saint, Francis of Assisi, with three events on or near Oct. 4.

Born in 1182, St. Francis’ dramatic reversion to the Christian faith, his poverty and his service to the needy in imitation of Christ sparked a spiritual movement that continues to the present in the three religious orders he founded. The events at the university, which will commemorate his impact on the world even today, are sponsored by the USF Office for Mission Integration and Spirituality, in conjunction with USF Campus Ministry.

A blessing of pets, led by university chaplain Father David Meinzen, will take place on Sunday, Sept. 30, at 7 p.m. in front of Brookside Mansion, near the St. Francis statue. Pets of all shapes, sizes and species are welcome, as are their owners.

The Transitus, a Franciscan prayer service commemorating St. Francis’ passing into heaven, will be prayed on Wednesday, Oct. 3, at 7 p.m. in the new St. Francis Chapel on the east side of campus, next to the Pope John Paul II Center. Through readings, hymns and ritual, participants will relive the night of Francis’ passage with “Sister Death” to eternal life. Fellowship and refreshments will follow nearby in the Doermer Family Center for Health Sciences Education, Room 156.

On Oct. 4 at 11:30 a.m. in the new St. Francis Chapel, a special Mass will celebrate St. Francis’ “birth into heaven.” The university’s chaplain, Father David Meinzen, will officiate. People of all faiths and persuasions are invited to join in this celebration of St. Francis’ life in word, song and sacrament.

All events are open to the public and free of charge, but attendees are asked to bring personal care items to benefit Vincent Village. University students, employees, alumni, Secular Franciscans and those with a “Franciscan heart” are welcome to attend.

For more information, call Sister Anita Holzmer, assistant vice president for mission integration, at 260-399-7700, ext. 6705.

Summit Awakening fall retreat

FORT WAYNE — Summit Awakening is a student-led, Christian-based retreat ministry, sponsored by the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend and the University of Saint Francis. It seeks to kindle a personal love for God and His kingdom in the hearts of college students in northeast Indiana, through personal testimonies, group reflection and immersion in the mystical body of Christ.

The next retreat is Summit Awakening 6, the theme of which is “Hail to the Cross, Our Only Hope!” It will take place Oct. 5-7 at the University of Saint Francis, downtown campus. At the retreat, students will spend the weekend listening to engaging talks and testimonies from their peers, experiencing a personal encounter with Christ in prayer and the sacraments and learning what it means to live an authentic faith life as part of a community.

​The purpose of Summit Awakening is to deepen faith and a relationship with God through a Catholic retreat ministry for college students. The three‐day retreat begins around 5 p.m. Friday and concludes around 4 p.m. Sunday. All college students, regardless of religion or university, are invited to attend.

South Bend-area parishes to participate in national rosary

FORT WAYNE — Inspired by the Rosary on the Border in Poland and the Rosary on the Coast in Ireland and in the United Kingdom, the Holy League plans a Rosary Coast to Coast event in the U.S. on Oct. 7.  This living rosary will be prayed simultaneously by tens of thousands of people in cities across the United States from New York to San Francisco, and across the various time zones — from 4 p.m. in the Eastern time zone to 1 p.m. in the Pacific time zone. This will be a powerful prayer of reparation and a petition for Mary’s intercession in this time of crisis for the Church and the nation.

In the South Bend area, the rosary will be prayed, rain or shine, from approximately 4 to 5 p.m. in Leighton Stadium at Saint Joseph High School, 800 E. LaSalle Ave. Families and individuals are welcome and encouraged to join Corpus Christi, St. Anthony of Padua and other South Bend-area parishes in this moment of prayer.