World Meeting of Families 2015 Report by Chris Hess Chris Hess attended with Anne-Marie Welsh, Mary Solberg, and Kathleen Peterson 9/21-9/28/15 Adult Pilgrims from the Diocese of Erie attended from 9/25-9/28/15 Youth Pilgrims from the Diocese of Erie attended from 9/26-9/27/15 INCLUDED: World Meeting of Families 9/22-9/25/15 Festival of Families 9/26/15 Papal Mass 9/27/15 Summary of Activities/Events/Speakers: 1. Monday, 9/21/15 - Arrived in Philadelphia 5:00 p.m. - Ate Cheesesteaks at Pat s & Geno s (2 famous places for cheesesteaks) with Helmers (Our WMOF Trip Winning Family); interviewed by Justin Carter WICU News 2. Tuesday, 9/22/15 - Registered for WMOF in a.m. - Reading Terminal Market for Lunch so many foods to choose from! - First Keynote (A) Speaker- 2:30 Bishop Robert Barron Living as the Image of God: Created for Joy and Love - Mass at 4:30 Archbishop Chaput as Principal Celebrant Many bishops, including Bishop Persico and Bishop Trautman, walk in procession. Beautiful music and message 3. Wednesday, 9/23/15 - Mass for all 8:30 a.m. - Keynote B 10:30 Cardinal Robert Sarah The Light of the Family in a Dark World - Breakout B 11:45 Saintly Couples: Models on the Road to Sanctity Presented by Mr. Christian & Mrs. Christine Meert from Agape Ministries - Lunch and Break 1-3 - Keynote C 3:00 p.m. Helen Alvare (speaker & attorney) Creating the Future: The Fertility of Christian Love - Breakout C 4:15 Rebuild My Church and Start from the Foundation: Living as a Domestic Church Presented by Dr. Timothy O Donnell - Exhibitor Area short visit from 5:15-6:00 - NACFLM Meeting and Refreshments 6:30-8:30 networking 1
WMOF p.2 Chris Hess 4. Thursday, 9/24/15 - Mass 8:30 a.m. - Liberty Bell Visit 10:30 with Mary Solberg (Lev 25:10 on the bell Proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. ) - Breakout D - 11:45 Creating a Flourishing Marriage Culture Presented by Professor Robert George and Mr. Sherif Girgis - Lunch and Break 1-3 More time with Exhibitors - Keynote E 3:00 Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle (from Phillipines) The Family: Home for a Wounded Heart - Breakout E 4:15 Always Consider the Person: Homosexuality in the Family Presented by Mr. Ron Belgau and Mrs. Beverley Belgau (his mother) Very well attended *His website: www.spiritualfriendship.org *also recommends http://couragerc.org 5. Friday, 9/25/15 - Mass 8:30 a.m. - Service Project with Catholic Relief Services (Helmers attended also) 10:15 11:30 - Packed food for poor We were sealers (They reached their goal of 200,000 meals packed during WMOF) - Breakout F Mission Possible: Out to Others in Authentic & Effective Ways - original speaker not available not sure of speaker s name - Venerated uncorrupted body of St. Maria Gronetti with Kathleen Peterson and Mary Solberg at nearby church - Walked with Kathleen to meet the Youth Pilgrims at the Fitness Center that was housing them for the weekend. 6. Saturday, 9/26/15 FESTIVAL OF FAMILIES & POPE FRANCIS ARRIVAL! - Mass with Pilgrims from the Diocese of Erie at St. John the Evangelist Church. Fr. Rich Toohey was the principal celebrant. Those concelebrating included Fr. Scott Jabo, Fr. Jason Feigh, Msgr. Richard Sullivan, and a classmate of Fr. Toohey s from Notre Dame. - Festival of Families attended with Mary Solberg and the Youth Pilgrims from Prep and Villa (and Fr. Jason Feigh, Fr. Scott Jabo, and Mrs. Liz Slaby) - Arrived @ 4:00 p.m. after a long line - Pope Francis arrived @ about 7:30p.m. - I didn t get a good picture (I saw a Blur!), but many around me did! - Entertainment through day & evening viewed it on Jumbo Tron: *Matt Maher *Sister Sledge ( We are Family ) *Aretha Franklin *The Fray *Philadelphia Orchestra 2
WMOF, p. 3 Chris Hess 7. Sunday, 9/27/15 PAPAL MASS - Papal Mass with Helmer Family - Left @ 11:30 a.m. - IN LINE from 12:30 p.m. 6:00 p.m.- through security @ end of Mass:( - Hung around and saw the city in that area, very beautiful - While in line felt the Holy Spirit among us, Our Father and Sign of Peace with those around us - THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA WAS GOOD TO US AND TO POPE FRANCIS! 8. Monday, 9/28/15 Drive back home. - Left @ 12:00 p.m.; arrived home @ 9:00p.m. - I FEEL BLESSED TO HAVE BEEN A PART OF THIS MEMORABLE AND SPIRITUAL EVENT! 3
WMOF, p.4 Chris Hess Chris Favorite Five Tidbits of Wonderful Knowledge Shared with Participants: 1. Part of Bishop Robert Barron s Keynote: The Church requires extravagant demand coupled with extravagant mercy. He mentioned that this is not a wishy washy situation. It is fully red (demand) and fully white (mercy), NOT PINK. (Just as Jesus was fully human and fully divine) Bishop Barron stated that this means that the Catholic Church s teaching will remain firm and rooted in the truth of God s Word. While following this demand, the Church will show mercy to all we encounter, just as Jesus did. 2. Part of the Keynote by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle s Keynote: Recited a Poem (song) called A House is not a Home from his childhood that states that families need to be safe places for its members to land. A child in a family should start out receiving love so that they will grow to be able to give love. 3. Story told by Cardinal Tagle: (Paraphrased a story he had heard from Pope Francis) A father of a boy had his own father living with them. The grandfather was very old and had trouble eating quickly and neatly. The father of the boy decided to put the grandfather at a table by himself in another room so that the rest of the family and visitors would not have to be embarrassed by the old man s eating habits. The next day, the man saw his son (the boy) working with wood in the backyard. The man asked his son what he was doing. The boy responded, I am making you your own table so when you re old, you ll have a place to eat. Isn t it true that children learn from our example more than from anything we say? - Food for Thought!!!!!! 4. Practical suggestions from Dr. Timothy O Donnell about Including Prayer in the family: - Let your children see you, the parents, pray. - Say the Morning Offering together as a family before you leave for your busy days ahead. - Say prayers before bed with your child to help him/her feel comfortable with all types of prayer. 4
- Say a Family Rosary, even in the car during travel. WMOF, p. 5 Chris Hess 5. The Service Project Sponsored by Catholic Relief Services during WMOF: WMOF participants, throughout the week, helped to pack 200,000 meals for the poor of Burkina Faso in West Africa. On the day the Helmers and I volunteered, we were across from volunteers from Chile. Even though we did not speak the same language, we were working together for a common goal. By the end of our shift on 9/25/15, the goal of 200, 000 meals packed was reached! The World Meeting of Families and the visit and words spoken by Pope Francis have increased my HOPE that the Catholic Church is ready to reengage and remember that Jesus came to this Earth to serve and save. We need to remember that to love God and love our neighbors are the only ways to experience true peace and happiness in this world. God Bless America and the World. 5