Dear Friends,
As we celebrate 70 years of Passionist ministry at Holy Family, I am proud to say that my father was on the first retreat at Holy Family with the parish of St. Thomas the Apostle in West Hartford.
He’d been building our family home as the Monastery was being built, and we soon moved in to our new house, one block away from Holy Family. The Monastery was the talk of the town, and all the neighbors were supportive and eager to help. Fr. Joseph Leo, C.P., was the founder and first Retreat Director.
Fr. Joe, as we knew him, was an amazing priest. When he would visit our home, we sat in awe. My Mom, Dad and two brothers were so excited about the kinds of spiritual things he was hoping to accomplish at Holy Family. He coordinated with bishops and priests and lay leaders. The parish-based weekend retreat was his thing, and he would go to workplaces like Scovill Manufacturing in Waterbury to promote their weekend.
That practice continues to this day as we have retreatants from five dioceses and over 200 parishes join us each year. Fr. Joe had a vision and I’m sure he’d be proud of what we are doing today.
:Local teens work in the dining room.
In my growing up, almost every neighborhood kid worked in the retreat house, including my brothers and me. We were required to wear white shirts and black bow ties, wash our hands before serving and be present for the prayer before the meal. We made ten dollars for the weekend and got 50 cents if we washed the floor on Sunday. It was all fun.
Also lots of fun was Casey, Fr. Joe’s horse! Fr. Joe would ride him on the 75 acres of land, and we kids would feed Casey fresh apples each night.
As we celebrate 70 years of ministry, I celebrate 80 years of life and 50 years as a Passionist priest, and it is all still fun for me. And fulfilling. I have been a teacher and a Pastor and a Retreat Director and Provincial. I have learned more from you about life and love and forgiveness than from any academic setting. I thank you for that, and for all you’ve done for us and meant to us at Holy Family.
Happy Anniversary!
Peace,
Fr. Terry