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St. Therese Church plans series of special events

By Frances Borsodi Zajac 6 min read

St. Therese de Lisieux Roman Catholic Church, located at 61 Mill St., Uniontown, is planning a series of special events in early May. The church will host a Eucharistic Day of Renewal from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 3. Doors to the church will open at 7:30 a.m. and the day will include 8 a.m. prayers and rosary, 9 a.m. Mass, talks, confession and Holy Hour with procession of the Blessed Sacrament. There is no charge for the event.

Scheduled speakers include Dr. Mark Miravalle, professor at Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio; Char Vance of FOCUS Worldwide Catholic Television Network in New Orleans; and a videotaped talk with “Anne,’ who resides in Ireland and is founder of the Lay Apostolate of Jesus Christ the Returning King.

Miravalle, husband, permanent deacon and father of eight, earned his sacred theological doctorate at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. His area of specialization is Mariology and spiritual theology. He has been teaching at the Franciscan University of Steubenville for 20 years. Miravalle is president of the international Catholic movement Vos Populi Mariae Mediatrici (Voice of the People for Mary Mediatrix) and is the author and editor of numerous books, including the “Mary, Co-redemptrix Advocate: Theological Foundations’ series and “With Jesus,’ the story of Mary Co-redemptrix.

Vance, after a miraculous physical and spiritual healing, left a successful career in broadcasting to join Focus Worldwide Catholic Television Network with Archbishop Philip Hannan in New Orleans. She has spoken throughout the world for the last 20 years and affectionately has been called “Our Lady’s Comedienne.’

Founder of the Lay Apostolate of Jesus Christ the Returning King, the speaker who goes by the name “Anne’ is a Catholic, wife and mother of six children, and resides in Ireland. She has spoken at Eucharistic Days of Renewal throughout the United States, in Europe and the Philippines. The messages Anne has recorded are published in a set of books called “The Volumes’ and a set of smaller booklets known as the “Heaven Speaks’ series. Her other written works include “Climbing the Mountain,’ “The Mist of Mercy’ and “In Defense of Obedience and Reflections of the Priesthood.’

There also is a Re-Charge Event for teenagers and young adults scheduled from 5 to 8 p.m. May 3. Doors open at 4 p.m. There is no charge for the event.

The Re-Charge will include a Vigil Mass, talks and quiet meditative time before the Blessed Sacrament. It will conclude with pizza in the lower level of the parish center.

Scheduled speakers include Nora McCarthy, youth director of the Re-Charge Youth Program at Direction for Our Times, and Rob Kaczmark, head producer of Spirit Juice Studios in Chicago.

McCarthy is a graduate of Loyola University of Chicago and has been youth director of Direction for Our Times since March 2006.

She has been instrumental in forming Re-Charge, a division of the apostolate that brings messages to young people. She has created a new Web site www.recharge.cc to attract youths to the mission. McCarthy has been a guest speaker on various events and Catholic radio programs.

Kaczmark is a graduate of St. Xavier University in Chicago. He was the host of Spirit Juice on Relevant Radio for nearly two years and is now the co-founder and head producer for Spirit Juice Studios, a Catholic production company.

He has more than eight years’ experience as a disc jockey and has used his skills to put on a variety of Catholic media events.

His responsibilities at Spirit Juice Studios include video production, graphic designer, audio engineer and event coordinator. For more information, visit www.spiritjuicestudios. com.

In addition, St. Therese will host a tour of local religious sites in the Uniontown area from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, May 5. Participants will meet at St. Therese Church, with transportation provided by Edenfield Stages. Places visited include St. Therese de Lisieux Church, morning prayers and Mass at the St. Anthony Franciscan Friary, mansion tour at Mount St. Macrina, visiting St. George Maronite Catholic Church, St. John the Evangelist Byzantine Catholic Church, St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church, Tree of Life Synagogue and the Jumonville Retreat Center.

There is a charge and lunch is not included. For reservations, call Alice Yezbak at 724-439-8240.

Denise Reilly, a parishioner of St. Therese and Lay Apostle of Jesus Christ the Returning King, said the tour began as a hospitality event for the speakers from the Eucharistic Day of Renewal and noted the variety of religious sites within the Uniontown area.

Reilly spearheaded plans for these events, which grew out of her own faith journey.

“For three years, the desire to have a Eucharistic Day of Renewal has been strong,’ she said.

Reilly said she was inspired by a Lenten challenge issued by the Rev. Ken Zaccagnini in 2005.

“Father Ken’s Lenten challenge was ‘What could we do to prepare for Lent? What in our life should we change?” she remembered.

For Reilly, the change began with small things such as getting away from Sunday laundry and dishes.

Doing that, she was able to watch a television program with her family on Mary and the apparitions at Medjugorje. She later read “The Volumes’ and eventually traveled to Medjugorje, where she found herself working with children and doing the same things she did at home. She didn’t share experiences felt by other pilgrims.

“I was scared when I came home. How do I tell people that my trip was like everything else?’ she said. “…In my mind, I had some other goals, but God had a better idea.’

Reilly said she came to realize that Jesus takes people just as they are, where they are. She continued reading and studying and began working on the Eucharistic Day of Renewal for St. Therese Church. She is thankful for the support of Zaccagnini and Marlene Bandzuch, director of faith formation for the parish.

Asked what she’s hoping people will find in the day of renewal, Reilly said, “That Jesus loves them and that this apostolate will help build them up and they become better at whatever their vocation is in life.’

Bandzuch said, “The ordinary things we do every day is sometimes what we are called to do in life.’

Zaccagnini said, “Everyone comes with a different need and perhaps a need you can’t describe sometimes but you know something is lacking. I hope they leave having that deficit in their life filled and it can be different for everyone.’

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