Love and Mercy conference welcomed the whole family

On July 8-9, the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity held their first ever conference, Love and Mercy, for the whole family. SOLT speakers from all over the country traveled to Our Lady of Corpus Christi Campus to share the good news about God’s love and mercy for everyone.

Families from throughout the diocese came to be a part of the weekend that offered talks, Mass, confessions, adoration and activities and formation for even the youngest participants.

“We’ve been wanting to have a conference like this for a long time…something that would witness who we are as a community of priests, deacons, brothers, sisters and laity working together as disciples of Jesus through Mary, and share our vision of the Catholic call to union with the Most Holy Trinity,” Mona Lisa Biberstein, conference coordinator, said.

The theme for the conference was drawn from the theme of the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy in which Pope Francis called the whole Church to engage.

“Jesus Christ is the face of the Father’s mercy,” Father Sam Medley, Director of OLCC Retreat Center, recalled the words of Pope Francis in his welcome. He encouraged the conference participants to visit OLCC frequently. “This is a place of ongoing conversion and of deepening your awareness that you are mightily and tenderly loved by God.”

The speakers for the conference included General Priest Servant Father Peter Marsalek; Father Mark Wheelan, who was recently commissioned by Pope Francis in Rome to be a Missionary of Mercy; Sister Anne Marie Walsh, a writer and a speaker who is currently serving in Iowa; Father Medley, whose homilies are frequently posted and available online; Father Eduardo Montemayor, who specializes in working with the New Evangelization; and Deacon John Purk, a member of SOLT since 1979 who hosts and produces a weekly radio show in Kansas City.

The conference also offered a Spanish-speaking tract, featuring Father Montemayor; Sister Angelina Soto García from SOLT's Guatemalan mission; Conrado González, a long-time lay member from San Antonio; and Father Anthony Blount, pastor of St. Anthony’s in Robstown.

Father Jeff Eppler from SOLT's North Dakota mission, Brother Dave Brokke, Brother Jacob Wisenbaker, Sister Maryam Caritas of the Child Jesus, Sister Mary Rachel, Sister Maria of Merciful Love (the sisters joined in from New Mexico), Tara Paredez and Brother Ryan Avery rounded out the team for the youth program. 

Rebecca Wolfgang from Houston provided the music for the conference, which included Mass and worship music for adoration both Friday and Saturday evenings as well as engaging the youth in praise.

Authors Sister Miiriam James Heidland ("Loved As I Am") and Father Eckley Macklin ("Poetry") were available in the bookstore to sign copies of their books.

Participants remarked that it was wonderful to have a conference that so thoroughly involved the young people, so that the families went away from the weekend renewed and inspired, Biberstein said.

“The priests and nuns who I got to hear were awesome as speakers,” said one of the participants.  “This was my first time in attending a conference and I feel a different person.  I learned so much that I didn't know.  I feel at ease.  No more anxiety, stress or tension.  May God bless everyone involved for us having an awesome two-days. I made new friends there.  Everybody there treated each other as a family.” 

Another participant said that the conference was “life changing.”

Plans for another conference are already underway.

“Our hope is that we can have the conference coincide with our annual assembly, as it did this year. We are planning to have the themes for the upcoming conferences follow the themes that the Church presents each year,” Biberstein said.