'33 Days to a Morning Glory:' a healing retreat

IC photo/Laura Vallejo

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Fr. Gustavo Vidal, Pastor of St. Mary Parish in West Heaven, leads the Marian retreat that began on March 9.

WEST HEAVEN — More than 70 people responded to the call for a two-day Marian retreat that began on March 9 at St. Mary Parish.

The retreat theme was based in the book 33 Days to a Morning Glory. Fr. Gustavo Vidal, pastor of Saint Mary Parish, and Carmen Coronado were the presenters.

“This is a very beautiful process. For us this retreat is simply that, a glorious morning,” said Coronado, who also organized the retreat.

This was the second time that a Marian retreat in Spanish was celebrated at St. Mary Parish in West Heaven, which has been hosting Marian retreats in English since 2011.

At the end of the retreat, participants had the opportunity to begin to prepare to consecrate themselves to Our Lady.

“We are all called through our baptism to be set aside for God,” said Coronado.

People attended the retreat for different reasons.

“This is the second time that we have come. The first time Mary called us, and now she did it again, so I am here responding to her,” said Susana Robles, a parishioner of Saint Mary.

“This process is beautiful. Being here again sets an example, and people come closer to Our Mother,” she said.

For Natalia Meses, another St. Mary parishioner, this was the first time at a Marian retreat and the second ever for a retreat overall.

“I feel that this is very important because as Catholics we believe in our Mother, and we have to get closer to God,” Meses said, adding that she expected to receive many blessings from it.

Maria Delfin received many blessings from attending last year, she said.

“I received healing, physically and in my soul, and that’s why I am here: to give testimony of the love of our Mother for us,” she said.

For Daniel Gomez, also a St. Mary parishioner, the retreat was a time for healing and “thanking Our Blessed Mother for taking care of me through my knee surgery,” he said. “I am here to thank God and to ask our Mother to keep on caring and taking care of us. This is very important.”

Fr. Vidal began the retreat with a healing Mass at which he welcomed the participants and thanked them for making time to be present.

During the retreat people had the opportunity to begin studying the life of four saints: St. Louis Grignion de Montfort, St. Maximillian Kolbe, Mother Therese of Calcutta and Saint Paul II.

After the retreat ended, participants took the book with them to start 33 days of study and meditation in preparation for their consecration on April 15.

“Then we will have the opportunity to gather every last Friday of the month,” Coronado said, adding that people who are consecrated are committing to pray the rosary every day as well as the Consecration prayer at least once a week.