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Catholic Church of St. Gabriel will host mission of healing

The Catholic Church of St. Gabriel in Fayetteville will host a free, three-night parish mission on violence, evil and healing, addressing the concern of Christians as they relate to these topics and fit into the Gospel message of the Bible.

The sessions will be held Monday, Nov. 29 through Wednesday, Dec. 1. Each session will begin at 7 p.m. and will conclude with a short social in the parish gathering area after the lesson.

Presiding over the event will be Father John Anglin, OFM friar, who has presented more than 250 parish missions since 1987. Anglin was born and raised in Boston and entered the friars after graduating from high school. He was ordained in 1971. He later obtained a master’s degree in religious education from Catholic University of America.

Since his ordination, Anglin has served in various ministries including high school teaching, parish ministry and marriage encounters, and also has training in alcoholism and addiction counseling. In addition, he has served as a missionary in Bolivia.

The St. Gabriel mission will address various themes centered around Christ’s answer to stopping violence and evil in the lives of individuals, as well as how individuals find healing for pain. It will also address how individuals can live the Gospel message of love and reconciliation while seeking justice.

A children’s mission for youngsters in kindergarten through fifth grade also will be held nightly and will be conducted by Mrs. Carol Guillory, St. Gabriel’s director of religious education. The theme will be “We are Kingdom Kids” and the children will participate in crafts and games. Although registration will be available on opening night, preregistration is encouraged for the children’s mission.

The first adult session, scheduled for Monday, Nov. 29, will cover the topic, “Living in the embrace of God’s love.”

“In the face of violence and injustice, it is indeed tempting to abandon our belief in a God of love,” said Anglin. “We proclaim that God does indeed hold us in a loving embrace which gives us the strength to carry on as well as the ability to reach out to those in need.”

The second adult session on Tuesday night, Nov. 30, will focus on the topic, “Forgiveness as the path to peace.” Anglin will reflect on resolving conflict by “asking Christ to be our peacemaker and asking Him to forgive those who have wronged us. We do this by accepting His gift of mercy for ourselves,” Anglin said.

The final topic on Wednesday, Dec. 1, will be, “Healing the human heart.”

“In spite of the advance made in medicine and technology, suffering and sorrow still afflict the human heart,” Anglin said, “be it due to sickness, injustice, or the violence that is so rampant in today’s world. We proclaim that through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ people of today will find healing and restoration. We, ourselves, are called to be healers, to bring the good news of Jesus into the world around us.”

All Catholics, as well as others in the community, are encouraged to attend the mission. The church is at 152 Antioch Rd., just south of the intersection of Ga. Hwy. 92 and Antioch Road.