Diocesan Lenten Retreat will focus on the Eucharist

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SALT LAKE CITY — The Diocesan Lenten Retreat will return to a completely in-person format this year. It will be held on Saturday, March 4 at Saint Vincent de Paul Parish’s Holy Family Hall. In addition to a morning session in English and an afternoon session in Spanish, the retreat will include a noon Mass at which Bishop Oscar A. Solis will preside, and a no-cost, simple luncheon.

Friar José-David Padilla, OP, the retreat master, will conduct both sessions. Friar José-David is originally from Medellin, Colombia, where he received his bachelor of arts degree in philosophy from the Bolivarian Pontifical University. He then went on to receive two master’s degrees from the Aquinas Institute of Theology. He completed his license degree in Sacred Scriptures at the Catholic Institute of Paris, and his doctorate at the Pontifical School of Theology of San Esteban of Salamanca, Spain. He has worked at parishes in Miami and New Orleans, and now serves as associate professor of theology at Barry University in Miami, Fla. He is also a resource person for the Congar Institute for Ministry Development in San Antonio, Texas, which has provided speakers for many events in the Diocese of Salt Lake City.

“Fr. José-David is a specialist in practical theology, which is wonderful because that’s what we all need,” said Susan Northway, director of the diocesan Office of Faith Formation, who is organizing the Lenten retreat in conjunction with Maria Cruz Gray, director of the diocesan Office of Hispanic Ministry.

The retreat theme, “The Eucharist: Becoming What We Receive,” was suggested by Bishop Solis. In each session, Fr. José-David will offer a three-part presentation on the Biblical foundations for the Eucharist, contemporary theological understanding of the Eucharist, and an overview of the current celebration of the Eucharist.

“The celebration of the Sacrament of the Eucharist is a proclamation of the dynamic act of God in the life of the believers,” Fr. José-David said. “The intrinsic union between the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist gives meaning to the concept of double nourishment from the two eucharistic tables. The commission of being sent out extends the implication of the celebration to the whole world.”  

The retreat theme speaks to not just the format and ritual of the Mass, “it is what we as the people of God receive at Eucharist, and that is Jesus Christ and how in receiving Jesus Christ each time in the Eucharist we become more Christlike; we go out and serve,” Northway said.

The English session will take place in the morning, followed by a bilingual Mass and luncheon. Both the English and Spanish communities are encouraged to attend the Mass and the meal. The Spanish session will be in the afternoon. Each will have breakout times with small-group discussion of questions provided by the retreat master.

At the luncheon all meals will be individually sealed, and the diocese will employ sanitizing protocols to ensure a safe experience, Northway said. Those who would like to are welcome to wear masks, which will be available for those who need them.

Sitting together and sharing a meal is “a Eucharistic experience,” Northway said. “When we dine together, when we eat together, it’s a form of community with each other. It’s a form of communication, and it’s a form of listening, exchange and joy.”

The retreat will be “a time to stop and pause and pray both privately and communally,” she said. “It is really a marvelous opportunity for people to go deeper into the spirituality of the Eucharist and to understand how they are changed by the experience of Eucharist. Every time a person goes to Mass and is present to what is happening, it builds them into a person who will go out and serve in some way. Lent is traditionally a time for increased prayer, a time to do a work of charity and a time to grow closer to Jesus. It is good to pause from our normal routines and do this.”

The retreat “is broader in its vision than single practices one might do during Lent,” she added. “It’s really a time to bolster one’s spirituality and to do that in community, because Eucharist is all about community. It’s all about the faithful gathering together. Come with an open heart; allow the Holy Spirit to move you during this time and maybe hear things you haven’t heard before.”

Maria Cruz Gray, director of the diocese’s Office of Hispanic affairs, encourages members of the Hispanic community to make the time to attend the retreat. “This is a wonderful opportunity for the people to get together and to prepare yourself for the celebration of Easter in person,” she said. “Fr. José-David Padilla comes with a beautiful record. He is an outstanding priest. This is a wonderful opportunity that the diocese has given us where we can have a retreat in own language so we can really experience the love of God. This is something we have been needing post-Covid. I’m inviting everybody to please come and participate and be at church with everybody, our brothers and sisters in the Lord.”

WHAT: Diocesan Lenten Retreat

WHEN: Saturday, March 4

English session: 9 -11:45 a.m.

Spanish session: 1-4 p.m.

Noon Mass with Bishop Oscar A. Solis presiding; followed by lunch

Free. All adults are invited to attend the retreat; preregistration is required for those who would like to attend the luncheon. To register, email Trisha.Norcross@dioslc.org (English) or  Jacqueline.Rivera@dioslc.org (Spanish). Catechists will receive three hours of certification credit for attendance.