Southern Nebraska Register
Three members of the Disciples of the Lord Jesus from Prayertown, Texas, came to St. Mary Parish in David City for a “Life in the Spirit” retreat March 11 and 12.
The retreat was held in the newly remodeled Didier Room at St. Mary Parish. It was attended by 28 retreatants, as well as local Marian Sisters, priests and a hospitality crew.
The Disciples of the Lord Jesus’ main apostolate is evangelization. The order’s charism is to “seek to draw all people into a personal relationship with Jesus through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.” The order also has houses in New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Mexico, Mexico, ministering to the spiritual needs of people of all ages world-wide through retreats, vacation bible schools, door-to-door evangelization, parish missions, foreign missions, prayer ministry, spiritual direction and ministry to charismatic prayer groups.
The Sisters who gave the retreat were Sister Marguerite Marie, Sister Mary Thomas and Sister Mary Justin. Father Brian Connor, pastor of St. Mary, Sister Mary Kansier and Sister Megan Therese Tunink of the Marian Sisters, and Beth Nemec were on the prayer team.
After the retreat, several participants commented on the power and consolation of the Holy Spirit.
“The Life in the Spirit Retreat was an amazing retreat and a beautiful experience,” said Mary Eller. “I think we often forget about the power of the Holy Spirit. It is yet another gift that Jesus gave us and that is readily available for us to tap into, if we just would.”
Patty Vaca agreed, saying of the Disciples of the Lord Jesus, “The Holy Spirit was working so beautifully through the Sisters!”
The Sisters presented talks and testimonies, which Sandra Burwell said made real “forgiveness and God’s personal love for me.”
“God knew I needed to experience the healing that came from being prayed over in the Baptism of the Spirit,” she said.
Kathy Engle echoed a similar experience.
“I came to the retreat to get a little spiritual guidance for my Lent, not fully understanding what was all involved,” she said, “and I left with so much more than guidance, I left with being baptized in the Spirit.”
Rodney Hoelscher commented on the deep peace he gained from the retreat.
“The best way that I could put it is that God led me to this retreat weekend, knowing that a lot of healing was going to take place. I haven’t had true peace since I can’t remember when, and this weekend God’s peace, which passes all understanding, was given to me. No words could honestly describe the joy and the peace that I experienced.”
