At the end of another Lent:
“The minute I got there you welcomed me literally with hugs & open arms.”
As we come to the end of our first Lenten season here at Hazelnut Catholic, Jessica and I keep catching ourselves gushing with gratitude to God for all He has given us this season —
— even as we have marked it with the Traditional Lenten practices. We have been absolutely blessed with our Lenten Seminar community. We had a wonderful small-group of ladies who became an invaluable source of community and communion over these last several weeks. We learned, prayed, questioned, struggled, and held each other through all that Lent brought to us this year — and we felt Wysdom dwelling in us more and more (iykyk).
Over and above all of that, we had the privilege to host a Lenten Retreat at Mount Angel Abbey. A few of our seminar participants attended, and then we added eight additional members who made the day incredibly special. We started the day with Mass in the Abbey Church with the monks and priests of the Abbey, then engaged in a beautiful discussion and reflection on Reconciliation and Communion, followed by lunch, private Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and a concert of sacred choral music. It was a day of prayer, rest, and growth.
Every time we have held one of these seminars or retreats, we’ve been blessed to build an intimate community where everyone is welcome and loved, genuinely, for who they are. Our most consistent feedback across each of the events and seminars we have created is something like what our beloved Claudia shared about this most recent retreat:
“You fostered discussions to evolve organically and
allowed vulnerabilities to be safely shared.”
Now, heading into Holy Week, we are more grateful than ever for the openness, encouragement, and love that you have shared with us (!) through this ministry. We can’t believe the fruit that has already been borne of this project — ad majorem dei gloriam!
What’s next for Hazelnut Catholic?
If you happened to miss our Lenten Seminar, our Home Study version of the course is 20% off for Holy Week! It’s an incredible opportunity to learn more about our rich faith and deepen your interior life.
“I came away loving you both even more than before and committed to continuing to enjoy your counsel, fellowship, inspiration, and spiritual passion.”
AND — Registration is NOW OPEN for Transcendent Spring, a retreat series focused on Pentecost located at Jessica’s gorgeous Cedar Creek Sanctuary. With lots of flexible registration options, we seriously can’t wait to get started…
… after a break for the Easter Mystery, of course!
We’re praying for you, dear friend.
