"Yes."
That's what we all said at the beginning of this summer to the journey the Lord called us on.
It's what we say each day when we get up for daily mass.
It's what we say everyday when we are asked to stretch our hearts and let the Lord in a little more.
ECHO New Orleans brought lots of opportunities for our team to say "yes," and serve the staff, young adults, teens and especially each other.
As the hospitality team, a significant portion of our time was committed to creating spaces for others to encounter the Lord whether it was transforming the chapel to the classroom, the cafeteria to a mood evoking coffee house setting or creating culture corner, adoration and other crucial spaces. Being able to enter in to something so routine but something so necessary for the environment of the retreat was truly rewarding.
With 65 young adults beginning the weekend with us and 91 teens meeting us a few days later, ECHO NOLA was nothing short of a miracle. The Holy Spirit was so evident as we delved into topics regarding the complementarity of the sexes, our identities as made in the image and likeness of the Father, our story as human beings that are created, fallen and redeemed, as well as chastity and the successful integration of this virtue in our daily lives and relationships.
ECHO NOLA truly rocked all of the missionaries worlds. As we prepared and interceded for ECHO and the arrival of all the souls we would encounter together, we all felt an invitation from the Lord to draw near to Him and find our peace in His Sacred Heart.
"It was beautiful to watch the community embrace the freedom they found in their relationships with God and with each other."--William
"The grace of creating and learning how to create a special, intimate, and unique place in my heart for the Lord, who is the love of my life, was granted to me at ECHO NOLA and I am forever thankful for that!"--Caitlyn
"I entered into Echo NOLA with the mindset that I was going to love and serve others and to give of myself. By the end of the retreat, through the little I thought that I gave, I recieved the Lord's love a hundred fold in return."--Mary
"At ECHO New Orleans, I was blessed with the opportunity to witness people falling in love with Jesus; teenagers and young adults alike were transformed by a radical encounter with Christ through the Theology of the Body, radiating love, life, and joy."--Michael
"I loved the experience of watching others come alive and embrace whose they are."--Caroline
"As a missionary at ECHO New Orleans, I learned the spirit of servanthood that the Church has always preached — that with the joy of Christ I am able to unreservedly give more spiritual and physical energy than I think possible every single day."--Tyler
"During Echo NOLA, God spoke to me through my experience of holding a baby for a few minutes about His tremendous, selfless love for me, assuring me that if I gave my life completely over to Him, I could trust that He would love me and take care of all my needs and desires like good parents do for their beloved child."--Matthew
We had many intercessors praying for us throughout the duration of the week as well as many strong images that came up for each of us in prayer. The Infant of Prague, the phrase "the blind will see," st. Lucy, divine mercy, the miraculous medal and the image of the Father as a Good Shepherd folded our prayers, the retreats intentions and our intercessors hearts.
The Lord has been moving so evidently for each of the missionaires and we are continuously in awe of how present the Father is and how diligently He is always working on each of our hearts. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI says that, "the one who hopes lives differently," a personal mantra for me this summer. Each missionary brings their own light, individuality, gifts and talents to each task we set out to accomplish. Our team truly is meshing as brothers and sisters united for the sole purpose of being soldiers for the Kingdom of God and evangelizing the Lord's beloved sons and daughters.
We would like to ask for your continued prayers in support of our mission as we enter in to the Lord's calling for us each new day. Know we are praying for each of you daily during our daily holy hour and lifting you all up during mass and our other intercessory prayer. Prayer changes everything because it allows us to step outside of ourselves to come alive for one another, as well as come alive in the heart of the Father.
If you feel called by the Holy Spirit to aid our mission through prayers or financial assistance to equip the rest of our mission, please send us any prayer requests or intentions and submit any financial donations here with the missionary's name whom you are supporting included in the 'additional comments' section!
Be Not Afraid!
Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song. --JP2
St. Thomas Aquinas, Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Joseph and Pope Saint John Paul II PRAY FOR US!
Below are some pictures from our time at ECHO NOLA:
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