Welcome Weekend
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SAVE THE DATE - October 12 & 13, 2024!
ST RAPHAEL'S WOMEN'S WELCOME WEEKEND RETREATWELCOME is an incredible experience that will recharge your faith life, help you develop lasting friendships, and fill you with newfound energy and purpose. For more information - call or text Jocelyn Pedalino at 727-744-1022 or Deb Fusek at 727-685-6308.
SIGN-UPS ARE NOW OPEN - SPACE IS LIMITED!
Sign-Up Nowor Get More Information
Here is what St Raphael parishioners have to say about the WELCOME WEEKEND EXPERIENCE.
“I have to admit at first I was reluctant to join the Women Welcome Weekend, BUT it is by far the best decision I have made. As I sat listening to all the speakers, I knew I had made the right decision. The women courageously told their stories and I finally realized what was missing in my life this Christian Community. A community that does not judge, a community of caring people, which speak your language about religion. I cannot begin to tell you how my life has been changing."
Josephine Spinelli
"Welcome felt like an opening in my life. I was deeply impacted by the stories the women presented on how God has moved in their lives. I began to make new friendships in just a few days. We are not a group of perfect women, but we all fit. We are growing together in friendships that have gone beyond the conference weekend into my life. I have become more active spiritually and I feel God’s presence more deeply.”
Karolina Zimniak
“When I walked into the Welcome Weekend, I wasn’t even Catholic. I was excited about growing in my knowledge of the Catholic faith after a lifetime of being Protestant. Yet, I still felt like an outsider. The Welcome Weekend helped me begin to experience St. Raphael’s in a whole new way because it connected me with the women of the parish for the first time. It also helped me to connect more deeply with God. I now have a circle of friends that I can laugh and cry with. We encourage one another and pray for each other, which has been a special blessing for us all.”
Deb Fusek
Come Join Us!
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What is this Welcome Thing?
Hundreds of thousands of people have had life changing experiences through CRHP, which has been renamed Welcome.
It’s an experience that helps you discover what’s missing in your life and what to do about it. Most people want to work this out, but they have no idea how, or even where to start.
The Welcome experience is an amazing thing! Welcome is a life-changing experience. Twenty years from now you will look back and this will be one of the defining experiences of your life.Why Should I go to Welcome Weekend?
We believe that Welcome is the first step in helping people make sense of life. You see, people often have this nagging feeling that something is missing in their lives. They want to work this out, but they have no idea how or even where to start. [See Video!]
How Does Welcome Weekend Work?
Welcome is an overnight weekend experience for men and women given by men or women who have previously attended Welcome at your parish. Through fellowship, faith sharing, hospitality, music, individual and group activities, Mass, and more, participants have the opportunity to step back from the everyday to reflect on their lives and their spiritual journeys and build meaningful relationships with other men or women in the parish. (Men and women attend separate weekends.)
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Women's Welcome Weekend
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Men's Welcome Weekend
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Interview with Karolina
For four years, Karolina Zimniak was faithfully attending Mass at St. Raphael’s in anonymity. As she watched parishioners chatting and hugging, she hoped to get more involved one day but wasn’t sure how. Only months before the Welcome Weekend, Karolina returned to St. Petersburg following six months of living in Poland caring for her mother. She was ready to rebuild friendships and expand her circle of friends. She noticed one of the yard signs for the Welcome Weekend and started to think, “What if?.” “What if there is more to being Catholic? What if there is a community to do life with? What if I don’t need to do this alone?”. She also wrestled with fear of the unknown, concerns she wouldn’t fit in or be able to meet some sort of expectations.
Karolina boldly took a step of faith by showing up for the Welcome Weekend without knowing anyone. Before she even made it into the church, she was warmly welcomed. She soon began talking with the women at her table from all different walks of life and faith journeys. During the weekend she was deeply impacted by the stories the women presented on how God has moved in their lives. She also found that she was beginning to make new friendships. Karolina shares, “We are not a group of perfect women, but we all fit. We are growing together.” Since the Welcome Weekend, Karolina has grown closer with the women from the retreat. She feels connected and engaged at St. Raphael's, and she is a cherished member of the community of women around her. She has become more active spiritually by reading the Bible regularly, praying throughout the day, and feeling God’s presence more deeply. She says, “Welcome felt like an opening.”
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FAQ about the Welcome Weekend Retreat
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Do you sense that something's missing in your life? Do you feel that if you weren't so busy you would be happier, healthier, more effective, more fulfilled, and maybe even a better person? Welcome (formerly called Christ Renews His Parish or CRHP) is a spiritual renewal retreat that helps you discover what's missing in your life and what to do about it. It is also an excellent opportunity for Catholics to renew their understanding of the basic beliefs and traditions of their faith.
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Weekends are held at St. Raphael Church and begin on Saturday at 8:00 am and conclude on Sunday at 2:00 pm. An overnight stay is part of the weekend. When staying the night, you will want to bring a pillow and toiletries.
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All are welcome! Welcome is for anyone seeking spiritual renewal. You do not have to be a spiritual person to attend the retreat. In fact many people attend because they are not as spiritual as they would like to be. All participants will be welcomed and received with unconditional acceptance.
The program is designed to help strengthen our parish communities. This is an excellent opportunity for those who have stopped attending Mass or who have lost interest in the church to reconnect with their Parish Family.
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There is no charge for attending the retreat! The weekend is hosted and run by previous attendees of the Welcome Weekend and funded by their donations.
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During the weekend, you will listen to a number of individuals who have volunteered to give a witness to the Power of Jesus Christ in their lives. Group discussions and responses follow each presentation. There will be readings from Scripture, time for prayer, and time for personal reflection in the Chapel.
Sacraments are an integral part of the weekend, including a private Mass.
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Participants from past Welcome weekends come together to facilitate the next weekend. The Teams work together in prayer and love to share the experience with you. It is a fun-filled uplifting spiritual journey that you will not regret! So what about you? Say a prayer. Ask God what you should do. We would love for you to join us.
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To Sign-Up Now click the link below
or
for more information call or text Jocelyn Pedalino at 727-744-1022 or Deb Fusek at 727-685-6308.
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