Mission hosts family retreat

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Participants in the April 25 Encounter at San Pablo Mission bless one of the missionaries who presented the retreat.

BERYL JUNCTION – Dozens of faithful parishioners attended a family Encounter with Jesus celebrated April 25 at San Pablo Catholic Mission in Iron County. The Encounter was led by the Misioneros de Jesús y María (Missionaries of Jesus and Mary), a ministry from St. Peter Parish in American Fork.

Because of the pandemic, those attending followed health restrictions such as the use of face masks, social distancing and overall respecting each other.

The retreat began with a thanksgiving prayer.

“When you invite someone to your home you welcome them. … This is your home and I am blessed to be here in your home,” said Jose Hernandez, one of the missionaries, as he started the Encounter by thanking all the attendees for their time.

Hernandez wore a face mask with the image of a rosary on one side and the image of a cross on the other. This, he said, was a both a show of respect and a reminder: “respect for one another and a reminder that Jesus is always with us.”

With dynamic exercises, prayer, worship and dance the missionaries established a connection with the families that attended the Encounter.

Francisco Jimenez, another missionary, presented a talk titled “Looking Where Jesus is.”

“Where is God?” he asked the participants. “He is everywhere. … He is not on the cross – that we see; that is just a reminder, a representation. He is everywhere with us.”

Using the day’s readings from the Bible as a basis for his comments, Jimenez said, “Sometimes we hear, we know, that Jesus is with us, but we don’t share that. We need to say it loud and clear to everyone, especially to our children.”

The Encounter concluded with a Mass celebrated by Fr. David Bittmenn, pastor of Saint George Parish, which ministers to San Pablo Mission.

“Thank you for your time and talents of the missionaries that put together and shared the Encounter with the Catholics of San Pablo Mission,” Fr. Bittmenn said.