Journey to Damascus: A Weekend of Renewal

Lisa Cervantes (left) and Anna Adrian review paperwork during a team meeting for the next Women’s Journey to Damascus, scheduled for July 25-28. Both women’s and men’s Journey retreats are held at the Pax Christi Retreat Center in Calallen.

Rebecca Esparza for South Texas Catholic
 

“When I picked Marty up at the end, I didn’t recognize him. He was literally glowing,” recalled Anna. “I had never seen him so happy or healthy looking. Tears of joy were streaming down his face. His smile was the biggest I’d ever seen.”

Journey to Damascus is an ecumenical retreat joining Christians from various religions for a rekindling of their core spiritual values. 

“When I saw the huge change in him, I couldn’t wait to go on mine,” Anna said. “Marty came back a completely changed man and I couldn’t wait to see what was in store for me. It was after I left the weekend, that it dawned on me: we truly are all just one big family. We all were created the same, and regardless of what our view and beliefs are, we’re still His creation.”

Anna went on her retreat in October of 2006 and experienced the same life-changing weekend as her husband. 

“The Journey to me was a representation of what faith, hope and love truly mean,” she explained. “Marty and I got involved right away and to this day I still commit a big portion of my time to this community because I know that we all need each other. We all learn from each other. There’s no other community that I have found where I can talk and cry freely with others and not be judged.”

David Walsh, president of the board of trustees for Journey to Damascus, said the retreat started with four men who attended a retreat operated by the Methodist church.  

“The men wanted their spouses to experience this retreat, but they knew the ladies would not be interested in attending a Protestant weekend. The men went to the Bishop, with Monsignor Richard Shirley, to obtain permission to create and begin the Journey to Damascus,” he explained.

The Journey to Damascus Board of Trustees oversees three communities of faithful: Corpus Christi, Central Texas and Houston.

Walsh explained that he also experienced a life-altering Journey, adding it is difficult to describe because it is such a personal experience. 

“Before my Journey to Damascus weekend I thought I was a good Catholic. I was clueless. During my weekend, I learned of and fully experienced the Holy Spirit. Although I had received the Holy Spirit at Baptism and Confirmation, the fire was burning. My Journey to Damascus experience turned that little flame into a raging inferno,” he said.

Although the weekend is fully Catholic, the mission is to be ecumenical and to emphasize the 95% of the faith shared by all Christian faiths, Walsh explained.  

“Our spiritual team is lead by a Catholic priest but the team includes Protestant clergy. The weekend’s process breaks down years of misunderstandings between Catholics and non-Catholics,” Walsh said. “Finally, the weekends are so successful because it combines a tremendously fun experience while learning and sharing our faith. It is an extremely powerful experience.”

“We continue to be blessed that Bishop Mulvey has been very supportive of our ministry,” he added.

Lisa Cervantes, a fourth grade teacher at London Elementary, is currently the Lay Director for the upcoming Women’s Journey to Damascus in July. She and her husband Marc, parishioners at St. Philip the Apostle, have sponsored close to a dozen pilgrims over the years because they want to share the love, healing and encouragement felt during a Journey weekend.

“Journey is about leaving your burdens at the foot of Christ. It’s about knowing others may be experiencing the same things you are going through, making things seem less impossible. It’s a time for soul searching and learning to rely on your faith to get you through life’s challenges,” she said.

Anna Adrian’s husband Marty died on September 21, 2014, after a courageous eight-year battle against pancreatic cancer. Today, Anna is still actively involved with Journey to Damascus, serving as the registrar.

“I get phone calls, emails, text messages from pilgrims stating they can’t be away from work or home for three days. Most want to know if it is possible to leave to check on work or home. Some are concerned about being around total strangers. I always tell them they will be waited on hand and foot: no cooking, no dishes, no cleaning...how can you possibly say no,” she chuckled. “I also mention they will leave with a group of friends that will pray for nothing but the best for them.”

The next Journey to Damascus for Men will be held June 20-23 and the next Journey to Damascus for Women is July 25-28. For more information, visit JourneyToDamascus.org or email [email protected]. Scholarships are available.