 Donna Dolan, RSCJ  I love my ministry. I love "being about my Father's work" at the Renewal Centre in the vineyard of the Diocese of Prince George. In my ministry I have found a place for my soul to live.We are blessed with rich and poor, native and non-native persons. Through retreats, spiritual direction, counselling and adult faith education we strive to foster a contemplative attitude so that participants may respond creatively to the urgency of the world's needs and respond to the call of the local church. Our programs are designed to help us respond to God in a healthy and life giving way. Simply put, the ministry of the Renewal Centre is a call to reveal God's love. In the doing of it there is an energy which moves us into the future. Passion, energy and sincerity are words that describe Bishop Wiesner's commitment to the diocese and to the many life-filled ministries which flourish here. Bishop Wiesner brings knowledge, conviction, zeal and unlimited energy to this ministry and that spills into the life of the diocesan family. A dedicated teacher, he embodies the vision for the diocese, breathing life into his work and stirring that life in others. Since the Renewal Centre opened in Prince George in 1994 we have graduated five classes of Lay Formation. A sixth class of seventeen participants has just completed its first year. The program offers lay people a chance to learn more about their faith in the key areas of scripture, church history, liturgy and sacraments, theology, spirituality, social justice and personal growth. My contribution is to the spirituality component. I am able to draw on my love of English literature and weave it into my presentations. The preparation I do, opens doors for the participants but it takes me to new depths as well, making the educative moment mutual. We offer programs which reflect a wide range of growth opportunities and spiritual enrichment. Resources in Prince George are limited and it is advisable for us to bring in at least two major speakers per year. Thanks to Catholic Missions in Canada we are able to secure top quality speakers who in turn draw creditable numbers to the Centre. Desire is the driving force behind the ministry of the Renewal Centre. If one has desire the goals can be accomplished; desire keeps the dream alive. Desire comes from within, from living out of one's relationship with God. It is in this place of desire, I think, that faith is kept alive. We can learn and be knowledgeable about many things but it is desire which impels us to action. There is of course, a price to be paid - endless hours of preparation, and the donkey work of setting up, moving furniture and creating an environment. Looking back I would say that the price is small in relation to the growth we see happening. Working in the vineyard, one finds the path of wonder which in turn leads to a field of infinite possibilities.   |
|
| back |
|