BRANT BEACH, N.J. — Sr. Ilia Delio, OSF, will lead a retreat this month at St. Francis of Assisi Church titled “Living With Compassion in a Divided World.” All are welcome to the event, scheduled on June 23 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to bring a lunch and to donate a free-will offering.
Sr. Ilia, a native of New Jersey, is a senior research fellow at Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and is a former professor of spirituality at the Washington Theological Union, where she also directed the Franciscan Center of Theology and Spirituality. She has written several books, including Christ in Evolution, Care for Creation: A Franciscan Spirituality of the Earth and Clare of Assisi: a Heart Full of Love.
Information about the retreat is available at the office of the more than 80-year-old parish or by phone at 609-494-8813. The church is located at 470 Long Beach Blvd.
On Memorial Day weekend, St. Francis of Assisi Parish and Center held its fifth annual Blessing of the Lifeguards. Sr. Patricia McNiff, a parish staff member, blessed the lifeguards.
Also this month, the parish is holding a Labyrinth Walk, a walking meditation at St. Francis church hall. A recent news release described the June 18 and June 19 events as “a spiritual act of pilgrimage, a metaphor for life’s journey. Choose a day and treat yourself to some quiet time during these hectic days of summer.”
Throughout the year, the community is celebrating the 40th anniversary of St. Francis Center. The second anniversary event — a luau — is being held July 14 on the center’s property.