The Year of Faith, 2012-2013

The summer included some travel, but a lot of family time and writing time for Cricket. jerry spent some time in the studio recording some new songs as well as our daughters, all of whom were here in Atlanta for August! Jerry continued teaching for the Diaconate program and spending time with his mother in nursing care up in Indy. The above photo was taken at the ARG in early August---always a wonderful time of renewal, learning, and communion in NC. A high point for Jerry was singing, with much chorus from the 300 or so fellow travellers, another song he wrote about getting lost at that retreat center between the buildings, cafe, and rooms, to the tune of amazing grace (I once was found, but now am lost....)---but also singing "I will gaze" to the San Damiano Cross at the close.

 This picture was taken at a wonderful retreat center called Avila in NC. It is run by 2 wonderful nuns, Sr. Cam and Sr. Damian, and we hosted about 20 secular franciscans and inquirers in a 3 day retreat entitled, " A Journey through the Four Allegories and Rebuilding Ourselves Before We Rebuild the Church." This had been requested from a shorter presentation Cricket had made at ARG in 2010.

 This was the first place where Cricket began selling her most recent book, "Releasing our trials to God", and we are working on an audio version of her teaching with music included. This picture to the right is taken just outside the conference room in the courtyard, but the grounds extend wonderfully.  There are stations and benches and gazebos, even a labyrinth for spiritual reflection. Many of the visitors had been here previously and found this a wonderful place for an annual retreat.

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 Sister Damian Marie, OFS, who revitalized this center in the 80's and still administrates it today, cleaned up a tiny cemetery where a Carmelite nun had been buried. This cemetary now also holds several children whose lack of funds had meant a non descript marker or place. Jerry sat praying for hours over this beautiful testament to the eternal life promise of our faith.

 

In early October, we were blessed to lead a morning and evening of reflection on the impact of the Year of Faith at our parish, Holy Trinity. It was well attended, though I regret I got so caught up in Cricket's teaching that I forgot to take pictures of the attendees! This teaching was so well received, primarily based on the Pope's Porta Fidei letter, that she was immediately asked to re-present it to 3 different prayer groups and bible studies. We intend to work on an audio program of this with music as well, and Jerry did provide music for these occasions.

 

Later in October,  we again got to visit with the newly established Conyers secular Franciscans in a retreat Cricket wrote on Discerning your spiritual gifts and ministering with them. This is held at the beautiful Hoste catholic prayer community near the Trappist Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers GA.

Snow, Summer and Service!

 Greetings from the Highways of MN! We began this trip with a prayer concert at Blessed Kateri Church in Plymouth MA. We were able to visit with our friends from St. Louis University, Ellen and Jack McDermott and family! It was a beautiful evening of prayer and song: I even hauled out the mandolin and 5 string banjo and they joined in enthusiastically. Cricket's closing prayer led to a poignant moment: as we were challenged to be the prayers we were saying, one of the deacons got up and announced that there was more than enough food that evening for the group we had. He then said that a homeless couple with their dog were living in woods nearby; he wasn't sure how to work the sound system, and realized that our concert had been brodcast outside! He said that our songs and message may have been a help to them, and the group then put food together for them.

We then headed up to Mount Alvernia retreat center in Wappingers' Falls, NY, to lead an annual Retreat with Secular Franciscans from NY and NJ. This was a large and wonderful group with whom we enjoyed a whole weekend on the requested theme of  "Understanding Penance: Pursuing the Call to Holiness." 

 

from Anthony

Greetings in Christ. I just want to say a special 'thank you' for the added blessings your music and spirit brought to me during the retreat at the Mt. Alvernia retreat this past weekend April 20-22 2012. You, your wife Cricket and your entire family are a specially blessed group of people. The collection included in the CD "The Franciscan Crown Rosary" is a most welcome piece of memento from that blessed time which will augment my spiritual well being for years to come!

We left Mt. Alvernia and visited with our great family friends in Lake Skaneatles NY, Tom and Leah Valenti. We were infant families together in married student housing Notre Dame while I was in grad school and Tom was in Law School. AFter a wonderful evening, we woke up to the pictures you see---this was the end of April and we needed a snow plow! But it was wonderful.

We then returned to my childhood parish of Holy Spirit in Indianapolis, where we had done a parish mission last Lent. This was a prayer concert on the theme of  'living the hope of Easter'. This concert included Dr Jim Larner, Music chair at Marian University, on the flute and sax; as well as my youngest brother on guitar. This allowed us to involve the audience in special ways, and Fr. Paul had built the evening around some interactive discussion questions. It was a grand evening of prayer and fellowship! It closed with my presenting the song I had written for this parish the previous year, on seeing Rainfall as God's mercy.

We then brought the same music ensemble to St. Louis de Montfort parish in Fishers Indiana, where we had also done a parish mission last Lent. Some members of the parish staff had studied with Dr. Larner at Marian, so it was a wonderful time of prayer and music! The evening closed with honoring the missionary commitment of the Zatkulak family that has impacted people in Brazil and SLDM for decades. I had written a song to honor them based on their explanation of how they followed the call: "All I Said Was Yes!" It was so wonderful to see their college aged children and friends who themselves have dedicated years of service and learning to the sister parish of SLDM in Brazil! We simply never know the 'ripples' of influence our following in faith will generate!

We then returned to St. Peter's Parish of Forest Lake, MN to present a parish mission with Pastor Father DeGrood on the theme of "God's call on our lives and our Yes!" We had served there previously for a staff retreat and parish mission, and this invitation was another blessed opportunity to serve with Fr. DeGrood and the leadership of St. Peter's. Cricket did both evening and morning sessions and the parish makes us feel so at home that I'm convinced we live there. Deacon Ralph and Louise L'allier again let us stay with them for much prayer and fellowship; and the week closed with the parish singing the song I had written for them called "A grandparent's blessing".

We closed out this wonderful journey with my mother, celebrating her 90th birthday and memorial for my oldest sister Helen, who headed to heaven shortly before.

Easter 2012

Just a short update due to requests! We have been doing several prayer hours at our parish during Lent. A special 137 hours of Lenten prayer was beautifully done with adoration and a number of ministries leading. The settings were so reverent that I failed to take pictures!

Jerry has been teaching in the Permanent Deacon program for the Archdiocese, and travelling a great deal to MS, TN, and AL.

Cricket continues to lead retreats and Days of Reflection, as well as her dilgent landscaping and caretaking of our Stations of the Cross prayer path behind our soon to sell home. She also continues as the Spiritual Advisor for a Secular Franciscan fraternity out near the Monastery in Conyers.

At 'press time', we are readying for another long trip into Boston, NY, IN, and MN for concerts, conferences, and missions! Will update during those trips!

God Bless!!!

Advent 2011: A Reflection from Cricket

“Behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
saying, ‘Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star
in the east, and are come to worship him.’” Matt 2:1b-2

We know how the wise men knew where to go in their search for the One they should worship. They followed the star. God made it very clear---a bright and shining star that no one could miss, as long as they were looking up---a star that would lead them to the Christ Child.

I was putting up some decorations in our home, trying to get the house ready before family came home for Christmas. Above our fireplace mantle, this time of year, I always hang a wreath with our nativity scene beneath it. The rest of the year a large iron cross hangs there. The center of this cross is a flat circle which I always cover with a picture that depicts whatever Feast day or Liturgical season we are in. This Advent I was looking for a picture of Mary and Joseph
on their way to Bethlehem to place in this center of the cross. But every picture I found of Joseph and Mary included the infant Christ. This is Advent! And I wanted the scene to be about this season.

I found, then, a large sculptured star our son had made for us several years ago. A star! It was much larger than the center of this cross, but I hung it there and it was perfect, covering the
center and reaching out to all the sides of the cross. Now I also had a beautiful Christmas card of the 3 wise men which I had placed on top of our piano. But that didn’t look right---the magi
had to be facing the star I had just hung. So I moved the card across the room.

Then I stepped back and looked at the magi---looked at the star—and looked at
the cross behind the star, and a ‘light’ of understanding shone forth: The wise men know to follw the star. As long as they kept themselves in that direction, they would be led to the King of Kings.

Today, the ‘star’ we follow is the cross. It will always lead us to the King of Kings. It will always draw us to that humble place where Christ can be found, adored, and glorified. Like the magi, we must never stop looking, never give up, or stop pressing on. It is our clear and shining sign that we will find Christ. Christ was born with a bright and clear sign, and He died with one. Let us not forget to follow, to keep our eyes on the sign He left us. Let us not forget, lest we lose our way.

November 2011

Greetings and welcome! This fall, we have been serving more locally, which helps us get ready for our Advent commitments. Our newest CD will be available in a matter of days (watch for announcement!)

To the right is a capture of Archbishop Wilton Gregory celebrating the graduation of many students Jerry had in Theology classes for Spring Hill College Atlanta---this was their graduation and a blessed message and commisioning for them!

We also travelled to Savannah for the Installation of our friend, Bishop Gregory Hartmeyer, OFM! Friar Gregory was Cricket's spiritual director for 15 years as he cared for 2 Fransciscan parishes in the Atlanta area! It was a wonderfully joyous Mass with so many parishioners, former and new, celebrating!

Cricket has become the Spiritual Advisor for a secular franciscan fraternity out east, and we provided a retreat for them in Late October. It was held at a Catholic community retreat center, in St. Joseph's hall, as these pictures show!

This retreat focused on the discernment of our vocations, with plenty of time for walks through the magnificent fall colors and country lanes!

In November, we travelled back to Blairsville GA in the mountains! There we led a retreat for the fraternity there, and focused on Cricket's book Understanding Penance. This was a joyous and highly interactive full house affair! We were so blessed to be invited back, and to serve this ever growing community!

Late Summer 2011

As jerry writes this update, it is the first morning in a long time that a long sleeve shirt is in order! This summer has meant some travel, but we have been home working on new projects that will be part of our ministry this fall.

• Our daughter Laura finished her PhD and promptly walked 500 miles on a pilgrimage called 'the Camino'. Though she carried very little with her, she did keep a journal. Unbeknownst to Laura, so did her mother. And their spiritual companionship of these journeys led to a retreat given by Laura at Holy Trinity parish. My hope is that this collaboration, with some of my music, will become a new cd or dvd. Stay tuned!
• Jerry travelled to Arkansas to give a workshop for Methodist Ministers and staff, played a wedding in the Atlanta Cathedral, and did a number of jazz performances including a Knights of Columbus Big Band event at Holy Cross parish.
• Jerry led a faculty retreat for a thriving High School faculty and staff named for Pope John XXIII. The leadership of this school seeks to continue the peaceful + evangelical catholic spirit of Blessed Angelo Roncalli. Jerry sang at the event with Benedictine Sister Cathy Anne Lepore, and led the group in reflection on growing Catholic Leadership.
• The Highlight of the summer came in NC at the Annual Regional Gathering. Cricket & Jerry were asked to lead sessions around the content given by Franciscan Sister Ilia Delio, primarily on prayer. Cricket's reflections and activities were a blessed complement to Sister's sessions. As the weekend proceeded, jerry felt led to write a song focused on the contemplative exhortation of St. Clare to "gaze on the Cross"; in the way an infant does. Jerry led this song with the entire 325+ members as a choir on the final evening, and this song is on the upcoming cd now being finished. (stay tuned!)
• Said trip had exciting travel notes I didn't mention. Our trusty little camper gave up on the side of the road in Franklin NC: we were towed to a very small fix it place, and our friend and angel Joan Furst came by to transport Cricket while I stayed with the van (guitar, cd's, clothes, healthy food, you get the picture). In any case, the little shop (within a mile of two secular franciscans we found out later) took a while but did a great job getting me back on the road a week or so later!
• The new cd we have worked on this summer is called "On a Road of Prayer". It chronicles our travels this year in all original songs sung by Jerry and our daughters. It includes songs that were inspired in many different locations in our itinerant service. Jerry feels the stories of these songs are one with the songs themselves. He played all instruments (but our son Jacob added percussion on the theme song) and includes some mandolin, banjo, & harmonica. There are solos from 3 of our daughters, and Cricket is promising it is our best ever! (I would accuse her of plenty of bias!) Please stay tuned!

Summer 2011! 3 year ministry anniversary!

It was three years ago that Jerry walked into a meeting with a CEO and said, without a 'plan B', that he and his beloved had felt a call to be full time in service to the Church. Although he has been blessed to occasionally consult on special projects, the call was to be 'on call'--- to 'open our calendar', and to be available where we were needed, to offer our service in teaching, praying, and music. Thank you Lord for our opportunity to serve you!

The spring  included a few trips into NC and FL, as Cricket is working on a new writing project that we’ll talk about shortly. She did lead a couple of SFO retreats in May/June, and continues to pray with people nearby in spiritual direction. Our Lord has placed her at the bedside of a few friends heading to eternal rest as well. Cricket also helped with leading some prayer teams for the Annual Eucharistic Congress Healing Session.

Jerry is completing work on the new CD. It is all original music and has again included our daughters and son on the recording! It is born of our mission and prayer trips, and we will update this ‘straightaway’! Our daughter, Talia, whom you have heard on several of our CD’s, has moved to NYC to do musical theater full time. In her first month there, she was able to sing at the Kennedy Center in DC and other significant venues!  Jerry has also completed most of the work on the deceased family members’ home in FL, and no longer has to take long trips to there. One of many blessings from that project is a small Catholic school and St. Vincent de Paul society were able to use a huge amount of furniture etc from the estate.

Our next trip begins soon, and includes the North and into Canada. Thank you for your Prayers!