Women's Retreat

"Women of Hope"
Retreat
Saturday, October 21, 2023
8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Schedule
8:30 Gathering and Refreshments

9:00 Opening Remarks

9:15-10:15 Fr. Saji K Thomas Talk

10:15 Break

10:30-11:15 Small Group 1

No. 1. Ask a Priest—Bring your faith—related questions.
No. 2. Singing Songs of Hope—St. Francis Choir director will lead in Songs of Hope.
No. 3. Visions of Hope—Near-Death Experiences
No. 4. Rosary of Hope—Out of hopelessness, comes the Hope of the Rosary.

11:30-12:30 Mass with talk Fr. Jose Thomas Mudakodiyil.

12:30 Lunch

1:15-2:00 Small Group 2

No. 5. Healing Our Blocks to Hope—Daily tools to entrust to God the deepest desires of our hearts.
No. 6. Apparitions of the Blessed Mother—Hear little-known apparitions throughout the world.
No. 7. Seven Secrets of the Eucharist—Learn more about the Eucharist.
No. 8. Giving Hope to Others—How do some give hope to women?

2:00 Break

2:15-3:00 Hope Springs Eternally with Sue Rosa.

3:00 Closing Remarks

St. Clare's Chapel is available all day for silent prayer.

Speakers

Fr. Saji K Thomas, CMI was born on December 8, 1975 in Murickassery, India. He is one of eight children of the late Thomas Matthew. Fr. Saji was ordained on December 31, 2005 and is a member of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI), the first indigenous congregation founded in India in 1829. Following the example of the Founder of CMI, St. Kuriakose Elias Chavara, who was canonized on November 23, 2014 by Pope Francis, Fr. Saji simultaneously serves in the fields of pastoral ministry and education.

Fr. Saji obtained his Master of Science in Education from Eastern Oregon University, La Grande, OR., Masters in Sociology from Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU), Tamil Nadu, India; his Bachelors of Education in English, History and his Bachelors of Arts in English, Sociology, and Psychology from Christ University, Bangalore, Karnataka, India; and his Bachelors of Theology and his Bachelors of Philosophy from Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram (DVK) Pontifical Athenaeum in Bangalore, India.

Fr. Saji has served as Associate Pastor, Vice Principal and Principal in Kerala and Bangalore beginning in 2006 until his arrival in the Baker Diocese in May of 2015. Fr. Saji served as pastor at Our Lady of the Valley in La Grande from 2015 – July 2022. He currently is serving as Vicar General for the Diocese of Baker and pastor at St. Thomas Catholic Church in Redmond.

Fr. Saji speaks four languages and enjoys reading, hiking, playing basketball, playing pickle ball and being with people.

Fr. Jose Thomas Mudakodiyil was ordained a priest in 2002 in his home parish in India inspired by St. John Bosco. He studied Theology, Philosophy, English Literature, and holds a masters in Psychology from Madras University. He is currently pastor at St. Francis of Assisi here in Bend. Father Jose expresses that, “it has been a joy to be a priest. Life as a priest has given me great satisfaction and fulfillment. My greatest joy is to be with the people God has entrusted to me, accompanying them in their journey of faith and being with them in all the significant moments of their lives.”

Sue Rosa is the oldest daughter of a large Catholic Family. She attended Catholic Schools in Grades 1 through 12. At age 15, she was teaching religious education classes at her local parish. She and her husband, Joe, have nine children. Sue taught junior high at Santa Sophia Academy for 14 years. She moved to a Feaster Edison Charter School where she was a lead teacher for 150 students, five teachers, and two college students majoring in education. Sue has been a guest speaker for National, State, and Local Religious, Educational, and Business Organizations.