By Lizette M. Lantigua - Florida Catholic
SOUTHWEST RANCHES | Just like rebooting your computer can fix most problems, rebooting your faith can work wonders, says Father Jimmy Acevedo, pastor of St. Mark Church here. His parish will host “Reboot! Live!” Oct. 19, featuring internationally known Catholic author and speaker Chris Stefanick.
“A rich faith life, like a loving marriage, requires that we step back, take a deep breath, and remember why we did all this in the first place. And faith, like marriage, has the same answer: love,” said Stefanick, founder of Real Life Catholic, husband and father of six, whose live seminars reach more than 85,000 people per year.
Father Acevedo hopes this event, which is expected to draw large crowds from all over the archdiocese, will continue to unite the parish as a family of believers and that all those who attend will discover “a better understanding of their faith — the love God has for us and our response to his love. Our response will lead us to be saints.”
The weekend will begin Thursday, Oct. 19 with “Reboot! Live!” from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Pre-registration is from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Then Friday, Oct. 20, will feature “Journey of the Faith,” focusing on the lives of saints, with veneration of over 20 relics starting at 7 p.m. and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Relics for veneration include: St. Martin de Porres, St. John Bosco, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Francis de Sales and St. Jane Frances de Chantal, St. Faustina Kowalska, St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. John Neumann, St. Vincent de Paul, St. Agustine of Hippo, St. Cecilia, St. Teresa of the Little Flower, St. Padre Pio and more.
This event is just the beginning of a farther-reaching, long-term evangelization plan St. Mark will implement throughout the community, said Vivian Covone, a parishioner and one of the event organizers.
“We are working on this plan to continue to feed the firethat will start over the weekend,” Covone said. “Our faith has to be continuously fed and spread. We want everyone to live the Gospel passage that is in the back of our church: Go into the whole world and preach the Gospel to every creature (Mk 16:25).”
St. Mark Church also is hosting vision workshops for parish leaders and active members. The workshops allow the pastor to share his vision with parishioners and provide a setting for conversation, so that all can work together and improve the experience at the parish, explained Tania Garza, a member of St. Mark’s Evangelization Committee.
The kickoff to all those efforts is Reboot Live!
“The hope is that everyone leaves with a boost of spirit, a sort of recharge, in their heart, and that they hear their personal message from God that evening. We strive to be disciples of Christ. Yet we place many obstacles in our way. We hope that evening will remove some of those obstacles,” said Garza. “Our parish and many others in the community will be prepared to continue the journey for those who wish to change their lives. So we would like for all of them to leave with the feeling of wanting more.”
“Reboot! Live!” is for ages 12 and up. Stefanick, who is consultant to the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family and Youth, is known to teens, college students and adults.
Besides his books and audio tapes for adults, Stefanick co-authored, with Matthew Pinto, the popular “Do I Have to Go? 101 Questions About the Mass, the Eucharist, and Your Spiritual Life” for teens (Ascension Press). Parishes may also know him for his popular confirmation program, Chosen.
Many students from St. Mark School and surrounding high schools plan to attend with their families, Covone said. Musician and recording artist Jon Niven will perform throughout the event.
Dinner can be purchased both days before the events at 5 p.m. in the church plaza or at the St. Mark Parish Center if it rains. A two-day ticket is $20 per person and can be bought online at: http://reallifecatholic.com/reboot-live-participants/ or by emailing [email protected]. For additional information, call 954-434-3777.
