St. John the Baptist Catholic Church to host 5-day parish mission Lenten retreat

Friday, Mar. 06, 2015

DRAPER  — “That my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.”- Jn 15:11

Dominican Father Nathan Castle will be offering a Lenten retreat March 14 to March 18 at Saint John the Baptist Parish in Draper.

Fr. Castle, who describes himself as a “Christian, a friend and follower of Jesus, disciple and student,” adds that he considers himself a Catholic called to live and love the universe and everyone in it. 

Originally from Groves, Texas, Fr. Castle graduated from Trinity University in San Antonio, where he studied gerontology and social sciences.  

In 1979 he entered the Order of Preachers (Dominicans) after a year as a layman at St. Meinrad Seminary in Indiana. He was ordained a priest in 1985.

He has been a campus minister, serving at the University of Arizona, University of California-Riverside, Arizona State University and currently at Stanford University. He teaches at the Catholic Campus Ministry Association’s Development Institute, and has served as the organization’s executive board chairman. He is the author of And Toto, Too: The Wizard of Oz as a Spiritual Adventure.”

In addition to offering the retreat in the evenings March 16-18, Fr. Castle will preach during the weekend Masses March 14-15, said Lisa Smith, parish office manager.

The retreat title is “Finding your joy/Following your joy.” 

“One of his lines is ‘your parish as a source of joyful living,’” said Smith. “I think that the retreat is more kind of finding joy in your parish [community].”

The parish mission Lenten retreat is open to all in the community and has no cost. For information, call the parish, 801-984-7101.

WHAT: Parish mission Lenten retreat – “Finding Your Joy/Following Your Joy”

RETREAT LEADER: Fr. Nathan Castle, O.P.

WHEN: March 14-18

Preaching Saturday at the 5 p.m. Mass and Sunday at the 8:30  and 11 a.m. Masses. The retreat will be Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, 7 p.m. each night at the parish.

Free and open to the public.