June 28th, 8:30am-2:45pm 

in the Community Room

Join us for a Saturday one-day retreat designed to encourage you in your God given gifts.  The day includes a diocesan developed presentation, gifts inventory, dialogue, lunch, and Mass!

This retreat is being presented by Tim Merriman, Jesuit Retreat House Board Chair, with assistance from Tom Pussel, Director of Outreach and Evangelization at St. Raphael. 

$15 registration and payment can be done HERE or by emailing tpussel@saintraphaelparish.com (if you choose to pay by check it can be made out to St. Raphael Church). 

"As Christians, we are a people animated by the Holy Spirit to be on the move, sharing in word and deed, the transformative love of Christ.  Each of us has a unique role in the Church.  Speaking to this, the Catechism of the Catholic Church says, "So that she can fulfill her mission, the Holy Spirit 'bestows upon the Church varied hierarchic and charismatic gifts, and in this way directs her.' 'Henceforward the Church, endowed with the gifts of her founder and faithfully observing his precepts of charity, humility and self-denial, receives the mission of proclaiming and establishing among all peoples the Kingdom of Christ and of God"' (Catechism of the Catholic Church, par. 768).

All the baptized have been given a role in this mission.  With Christ as the Head of the Mystical Body, and the Holy Spirit to guide us and provide the necessary gifts, each of us are active participants in the Church.  The laity, together with the clergy, are called to address the real needs of our time.

By identifying our charisms, the plan and intention of God will be revealed.  Then we can collaborate with each other as members of a body, working in unison toward a common goal.  Shedding any desire to be independent, our weakness becomes our strength.  We become beautifully reliant on God and on each other.  What a vision God has given us!  What an honor is ours to be called into this One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church."

The Value of the Assessment to the Participant

To grow in awareness of your own gifts. 

To become more aware of the variety of ministries, activities, and gifts that are present in the Church. 

To grow in appreciation of the gifts of others. 

To have a sense of the unity of the members of the Church with their variety of gifts as members of the Mystical Body of Christ. 

To name and understand at which stage of the Journey of Faith you are currently and identify the next small step in your development toward becoming a fully engaged Missionary Disciple. 

To consider offering your gifts to a ministry in the parish based on your maturing in faith or the realization of your own gifts.

Schedule 

8:30-9 AM  Registration, Welcome, Hospitality

9 - 9:15 AM Opening Comments & Prayer to the Holy Spirit

9:15 - 10:15 AM Joyful Missionary Disciples

10:15 - 10:30 AM BREAK

10:30 - 11:15 AM A Discernment Process and Cycle

11:30 AM - 1 PM Mass & Lunch

1 1:45 PM Called by the Spirit Gifts Inventory Process

1:45 - 2:45 PM Storytelling: Sharing and Affirming

2:45 PM Closing Prayer

Tim Merriman

Tim and his wife Lynn returned to Bay Village and St. Raphael Parish in July 2017, bringing their journey full circle.  The couple previously lived in Bay from 1984 to 1995, raising their four children, each of whom attended St. Raphael School.  Now retired, Tim and Lynn have been happily married for 48 years and are the proud grandparents of six.

Tim is a St. Raphael School, St. Edward High School, and Xavier University graduate.  His education and faith have shaped a lifelong commitment to service and spiritual growth. Tim currently serves as the Board Chair of the Jesuit Retreat Center in Parma, where he plays a key role in fostering spiritual renewal and leadership rooted in Ignatian values.  Having completed the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, Tim is passionate about helping others deepen their relationship with God, discern His will, and find God in all things.

One of the tools Tim encourages others to discover is the Cleveland Catholic Diocese’s Called by the Spirit Discernment Program, a framework designed to help individuals identify the unique gifts they’ve been given.  The program encourages prayerful reflection, meaningful conversations, and spiritual direction to help participants discover how best to use their gifts to serve others and the greater glory of God.

Tim’s life reflects a profound commitment to faith, family, and the Jesuit tradition of finding God in all things.

Tom Pussel

Tom currently serves at the Director of Outreach and Evangelization at St. Raphael Church.  Prior to his arrival at St. Raphael he was a hospice chaplain.  Tom earned his Masters of Theology degree in 2005 and has completed four units of Clinical Pastoral Education at the Cleveland Clinic.  He and his wife Ross have three children and live in Lakewood.