Life,New

Hope,New

DesiresandNew

Dear Family & Friends,

What great joy it is for us to see that some of our young men and women desire to attend authentically Catholic universities when they exit, so that their faith and prayer will continue to be nurtured and deepened!

This fall Erika hopes to begin her freshman year, and Christopher is entering his junior year.

My name is Erika, and I’m 24 years old. As a teenager, I had the distorted notion that in order to live a happy or fulfilled life,

it was necessary that one must obtain what was wanted. My happiness always depended upon this modern-day “instant gratification” mentality that still plagues much of today’s culture and society. For years I hopelessly tried to satisfy an internal void, one that never seemed to stay full. I was constantly searching for something “larger than life” to happen, in order to be happy without having to ever lift a finger or put forth any effort. I searched far and wide for love, and to feel loved and accepted by my peers, family, and even strangers. When I arrived at the point of not feeling important or loved by anyone, my behavior became destructive. Desperate for help, my mother drove me to Community when I was 18. Upon arrival I was amazed to see the house full of young women, all of whom seemed to be serene and genuinely happy.

july 2015

CenacoloA Hope Reborn

from the darkness to the Light

Our Lady of Hope Mary Immaculate St. Maria Goretti Our Lady of Joyful Hope

1050 Talleyrand Ave, jacksonville, Fl 32206 www.hopereborn.org

New Life, New Hope, and New Desires

That day I asked myself what it was that they had that I didn’t. I was determined to find whatever it was, and this lead me on a six year journey through three foreign countries. I spent a year and a half in Italy, followed by another year in Lourdes, France, learning to know myself through prayer and daily community life. People who knew me and saw my every move constantly surrounded me. For a very long time I struggled with what was termed “fraternal correction,” which ultimately was my pride. After a great deal of pain, I realized that I was utterly miserable due to the fact that a large portion of my day was consumed thinking about myself, my problems, and ultimately that I wasn’t the person who I wanted to be. Finally, I decided to give it over to God. I realized I was never going to be happy unless I did whatever He wanted of me. My vocation as a missionary began to mature; I knew that instead of taking, I had to give. In August of 2012, I left Italy for Lima, Peru. I was twenty-one years old, and I had no college degree. I had one small suitcase with some clothes, a bible, a cross around my neck, and a rosary in my hand. I arrived in a house full of small children who needed my constant attention, both day and night. I learned how to care for them, feed them, change them, and attend to their basic needs. I spent a year with these children who were infants and toddlers. I also helped at the other orphanage of 50 kids from ages 3-19. When I arrived, I didn’t know what had hit me. Later I realized that the smaller children loved me because they completely depended on me. I was the one who fed them or had to change their clothes or dirty diaper because they couldn’t do it themselves; therefore I automatically gained their trust, respect, and love. However, this dynamic was different when I was responsible for girls, twenty-one of them, from ages 3-19. I realized how hard I was going to have to work in order to gain their trust and respect. These were all girls who had been abandoned, abused, and neglected. They constantly tested me in order to see if I would abandon them or treat them just as poorly as their families or others they had previously encountered in their lives. Two other women and I worked together day and night to care for all of the girls’ needs which included, but wasn’t limited to, making sure the girls had their proper uniform for school every morning before going to the chapel, preparing and monitoring that they ate enough before going to school, that they came home and completed their homework and chores, that they were clean before the evening rosary in the chapel, and that they were ready for bed early enough to get a good night’s sleep (they woke up at 5:45 in the morning to get ready for school). Many nights after putting everyone to bed, I found I had to prepare materials for school, complete projects for the pre-school children (of whom there were 18), prepare lunch boxes, deal with “classic teen-age attitudes,” or simply clean up after a long, busy day, which entailed completing these chores at midnight or later. Almost every day when my alarm clock would sound at 4:45 AM, I would tell myself I couldn’t get up to go to the chapel,

(which is the way the missionaries started each day). Unexpectedly I would get up, dress myself, and stumble into the chapel –much to my own amazement. Some days I specifically remember asking myself how or why I was doing all of this. It seemed absurd, but I learned to smile at myself and at the work I was doing in those moments; I knew it came from God. I had learned to put myself aside and to love the person that God had put in front of me, seeing Jesus daily in the people around me and in the situations surrounding me. I had learned the true meaning and the joy behind sacrifice. I finally found what I had decided to search for a few years earlier upon arriving in Cenacolo. Because of this, I stayed for an additional two and a half years giving of myself, and receiving much more than words are able to express. Blessed Teresa of Calcutta once said, “Do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired. Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.” When I take the time to

meditate on this quote, it brings tears to my eyes as I reflect on the truth I found in these words spoken by a true missionary. I’ve learned that it takes hard work, faith, the courage to admit your mistakes, the desire to love and put yourself aside, a few sacrifices, and knowing that when all you have isn’t enough (because it never will be) to lay your life in God’s hands and let Him take care of the rest. My love is not extraordinary; it is born from the ordinary decisions of every day life. I now know my happiness comes from the moments in which I decide to love. This pure form of simple love, which reflects the heart of God, gives and will continue to give me the strength to accomplish whatever it is that He is asking of me.

Hello, my name is Chris, and I am 26 years old. I entered Community Cenacolo in 2007 at age 18. Before entering Community, I was completely lost. I used drugs and alcohol for most of my teenage years, and this weakened me very quickly. My family prayed for me constantly and helped me to enter Cenacolo. Upon arriving at Community in Florida, I was very quiet and barely ever talked. I had a very hard time breaking this silence, and it even took years to overcome. I had lots of anxiety trapped inside of me, but with the help of all the guys and--of course--prayer, it slowly began to fade. I saw through the example of the other guys what a real prayer life was. I also began to understand that I needed a prayer life in order to persevere

In August of 2012, I left Italy for Lima, Peru. I was twenty-one years old, and I had no college degree. I had one small suitcase with some clothes, a bible, a cross around my neck, and a rosary in my hand.

through my struggles. After a year, I was transferred to Europe. I was given many responsibilities that helped me overcome much of the anxiety that I had. I started to feel more confident as I was able to do things that I had not thought to be possible. I suspected that I may have been dealing with health issues, and I prayed about this constantly. After two and a half years, medical tests revealed that I had Lyme disease. It was actually a huge relief to hear that I had a diagnosis, after

many years of not knowing. I was transferred back to Florida, where I tried to serve and to give the guys everything I had received. With all the responsibilities I was given, it helped me to focus more on the others, instead of only thinking of my health issues or difficulties. The most important thing I gained in Community was my faith, which gave me the strength to persevere and not lose hope. As I was ready to exit Community, I knew I had to trust that the right opportunity would come at the right moment.

Although my health was an ongoing issue, I felt more positive as I was able to help out the others. I knew the cross of my health was a gift that helped strengthen my faith. Through Community, I was given the opportunity to come to Ave Maria University to work in the cafeteria. I exited about 3 years ago, and I’m grateful for God’s providence. I started working in the cafeteria, getting as many hours as I could, so I could earn money for school. I started taking classes part-time, while working full time. Then I was able to go full-time to school, but I continued working weekends in the cafeteria. During the summer, I worked about 60 hours a week to try to pay off loans. Attending daily Mass on campus gave me the strength to persevere. I would go to the chapel for adoration in my free time, and this helped me keep my peace in difficult moments. Of course, being out of Community, I still have many struggles. Keeping up with a good prayer life helps me to stay focused and avoid temptations. I decided to not drink alcohol because I do not want to fall back into my old ways and lose the positive things I have gained. With the help of prayer, my health is now much better than it has been in a long time. I never thought that I would even be accepted to this school, considering my past. Through trusting in God’s providence and also fighting, not giving up in the most difficult situations, I know that anything is possible. This fall I begin my junior year. I am currently doing maintenance work on campus to be able to continue my education. I just want to express how grateful I am that Community Cenacolo has given me the tools I need to persevere in life. I realize that with faith anything is possible.

We pray for you and all those you love!Comunita Cenacolo America