CROWN POINT – St. Matthias invited all to enter into a time of prayer and encounter the mercy of Christ this Lenten season with a Healing and Penitential Prayer Service. Father John Scott, senior priest of the Diocese of Gary, led those gathered on March 12 through Mass and a special time of prayer to ask God for recovery from any physical or mental ailments.
Wearing a chasuble he received as a gift from inmates who used materials from uniforms, mattresses and window curtains, Father Scott presided over the liturgy. He welcomed those in attendance, stating that “we are here to celebrate the presence of the Lord in our lives and ask for his blessings.”
“We are seeking a healing in our lives so that we can be fulfilled people of God, allowing kindness to move into our lives and the lives of others,” he said.
Turning to the day’s readings, Father Scott shared the prophet Jeremiah’s words that explain the importance of trusting in God. The man described in the Bible passage, he said, is an example of someone who places his trust in humans and builds his entire life independent of God, surrounding himself with as many goods as possible in an attempt to be happy.
“But God has a way of touching us and changing us if we are open to his presence,” Father Scott said.
The priest shared several stories describing how God can transform people. One story involved an atheist who didn’t believe in miracles until he met and found himself conversing with St. Carlo Acutis. Father Scott also spoke of Corrie Ten Boom, whose family helped Jewish people escape the Nazi in the 1940s before being taken into custody themselves. After World War II, Ten Boom traveled, giving talks about how she was still able to see God’s presence during that time.
“It’s amazing how the Lord really works,” Scott said. “The stories that really impress me are the ones that show that God really doesn’t give up on people.”
The service was hosted by the parish’s Catholic Widow & Widowers Fellowship. President Tillie Bryan explained that it was the first year the group decided to sponsor a healing service. Although she was happy with the turnout and pleased with the service overall, she was already thinking of ways to make it better next time. For example, in a future service, she’d like to see the opportunity for confession.
Bryan feels the Church is looking forward to a new Pentecost right now, believing that people have strayed away from the fact that “Pentecost comes and miracles do happen.”
“People need to realize that we can pray for miracles, and we can pray for healings,” she said. “I've experienced an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and when you experience that, you want to share that with people. It's a whole new life when you really let go and let God have his way with your life. Wonderful things can happen.”
Bryan was instrumental in starting the Catholic Widow & Widowers Fellowship at the Crown Point parish. She noted St. Matthias had a grief support program, which she attended when her husband passed. While the grief group helped her a lot, she found herself still wanting more interaction through the church. That’s when she approached pastor Father Jim Wozniak with the idea of a widows and widowers ministry. After taking some time to pray about it, she decided to start the group.
“I think widows and widowers are overlooked in the parishes,” she said. “We have a lot to offer the parishes, and we want them to know that.”
Bryan has been a widow for five years – married for 65 years – so the fellowship is personal for her. She shared that she was a daily communicant until she couldn't drive anymore, despite still being in good health. Having a group of widows and widowers within the parish community, she feels, is important for the spiritual and emotional well-being of the members.
“A lot of us are lonely, and a lot of us live alone,” she said.
Bryan called the members of the Catholic Widows & Widowers Fellowship a wonderful group of people. She stated that they enjoy getting together and hearing one another’s stories because “we all have a lot of stories to tell.”
“Everybody's been really enjoying it, very much,” Bryan said. “And we have grown together. It's just like we're a community. We just love to get together because we do have a lot of fun. We have a lot of laughs, and sometimes we even cry together.”
The group meets on the fourth Thursday of every month at 1 p.m. in the Double Classroom at the church. They also host a social gathering on the second Thursday of the month, usually off-site at a local restaurant.
The gatherings typically see about 25 participating, with parishioners joining from both St. Mary and St. Matthias in Crown Point. In addition to Father Scott, past speakers at its meetings have included a librarian, a representative of Powers Health and those from other ministries within the church.
“She's like the chamber of commerce,” joked Pat Mroczkowski, speaking about Bryan. “She helps line up all the speakers for us.”
Mroczkowski felt the healing prayer service was a great idea, especially as some of the members are coping with physical disabilities. She also expressed her appreciation for the widows and widowers gatherings, adding that it is a wonderful organization.
“Everyone is just so nice,” she said. “We just get along, and now when I see someone in church, I can put a name with the face.”
For more information about Catholic Widows & Widowers Fellowship, contact the parish office at (219) 663-2201.
