St. Joseph parishioners hold spiritual retreat in Victoria

Parishioners from St. Joseph Catholic Church in Beeville headed to the Spiritual Renewal Center in Victoria for their 2nd Annual Parish Autumn Retreat from Oct. 2-4. The theme of this year’s retreat, “Into the Heart of Mercy,” was in response to Pope Francis’ declaration that the period of Dec. 8 to Nov. 20, 2016, would be a “Jubilee Year of Mercy” in which people are called to reflect on and bear witness to the mercy of God.

“Let the Church always be a place of mercy and hope, where everyone is welcomed, loved and forgiven,” Pope Francis said.

The retreat served as an opportunity for parishioners to prepare for the Year of Mercy. Father Richard Gonzales, pastor of St. Joseph's, and Santos Jones, pastoral associate, guided participants through reflections on the sacraments of mercy, the Church as the house of mercy and the works of mercy.

Jeannie Leos provided and led the music for the retreat. Throughout the weekend participants had the opportunity to participate in multiple spiritual exercises, which included Liturgy of the Hours, the Rosary, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Stations of the Cross, Eucharistic Adoration, Confession and Mass.