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WHITING, Ind. — Midwest Byzanteens gathered March 24 under the patronage of the Mother of God, Searcher for the Lost for their annual Lenten day of reflection, hosted this year at St. Mary Parish in Whiting.
Father Hilarion Heagy, a monk of Holy Resurrection Monastery in St. Nazianz, Wisconsin, was one of the speakers. He told the teens about his conversion to the Catholic Church and gave testimony about his monastic vocation.
Karly Krown, a college freshman and parishioner of Annunciation Parish in Homer Glen, Illinois, spoke about being an example of faith among her peers in school. Her witness to one friend in particular ultimately led to her friend’s conversion to the Byzantine Catholic Church. Her friend was baptized last Pascha, and Krown and another teen from the parish were her godparents.
David Bratnick, videographer and producer for Horizons and a parishioner at St. Mary Parish, spoke about the struggles of remaining faithful to the church during college while majoring in film at a large state school away from home.
The teen event was held in the context of a larger weekend mission of prayer for fallen-away Catholics, dedicated to the Mother of God, Searcher for the Lost. On this occasion, Father Hilarion brought an original icon of the Mother of God, Searcher for the Lost, patroness of his monastery.
Father Hilarion preached about the icon over the weekend. He said it is of such an ancient tradition, no one knows its origins. He explained that devotion to this icon is for people in danger, both material and spiritual. Before the weekend, he encouraged people on social media to submit prayer requests to him, and dozens came in from across the globe.
He said the Evil One is sowing seeds of confusion and despair, noting a recent poll that indicated 37 percent of Catholics in the United States are thinking about leaving the church. He compared the current culture with that of the prodigal son, “who is lost in a strange land away from God, imprisoned by our passions,” he said.
He urged his listeners to have hope and reminded them of the message of the Searcher for the Lost: she is like the father in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, seeking out her children and appealing to her Son on their behalf, just as she did at Cana.
He spoke about the history of the icon and the role of intercessory prayer in the Christian life. St. Mary Parish also hosted the Midwest Lenten Vespers that evening, at which Father Hilarion also preached.
The parish mission was in the context of a prayer campaign for fallen-away Catholics that was held in two parishes in the Midwest throughout Lent, St. Mary and St. Michael parishes.
Caption: Father Hilarion Heagy, left, of Holy Resurrection Monastery shared his story of conversion with the Midwest Byzanteens at a coffee shop in Whiting, Ind., March 24. The talk was part of the annual Midwest Byzanteen Lenten day of reflection. (Photo: David Bratnick)
As published in Horizons, April 21, 2019.
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