Over 75 attendees joined a special Healing Retreat held on the Holy Apostles campus on Saturday, October 5. The retreat was led by Fr. Dermot Roache S.M.A. and Kathleen McCarthy. Fr. Roache and Kathleen often give retreats together at places such as the Malvern Retreat Center in Pennsylvania, so having them at Holy Apostles was a gift.
The day began with the Holy Mass in the chapel celebrated by Fr. Roache. This was followed by two powerful morning talks and personal testimonies. The title of the retreat “Your Mother is Calling” was chosen to emphasize the importance of the Blessed Mother’s intercession in our lives and in our healing journey.
Kathleen, a world-renowned Catholic evangelist, has led a healing apostolate for over four decades. She is the president of In His Sign Catholic Radio Network. Kathleen, who is blessed with a large family, shared in her morning talk about the spiritual path that brought her back to the Catholic Church and how the realization of the Real Presence of Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist impacted that journey.
Fr. Roache, who had just returned from a pilgrimage to Medjugorje, shared about his work as a missionary priest in Africa. He is currently the vice-provincial of the American Province of the S.M.A. Fathers located in Tenafly, New Jersey. Fr. Roache emphasized the importance of trust in God’s mercy, something he said that Adam and Eve failed to do, but that we are all called to trust in God’s Divine Mercy no matter how unworthy we feel. Fr. Roache also spoke about how easy it is to get drawn into the darkness and how critical to hold firmly to the light and follow the truth.
The afternoon session continued with adoration, confession and a spirit-filled Eucharistic Healing service with prophetic words from Kathleen and accompanied by the Holy Apostles’ music ministry. It was a beautiful day of spiritual renewal and healing!
Kathleen’s current books are titled In The Silence of My Heart (Volumes 1-10). These writings that have received the Imprimatur and Nihil Obstat of the Catholic Church can be purchased at her website. Fr. Roache also recently published a wonderful book of Marian reflections entitled, I am the Virgin Mother of God and Your Mother Too available on Amazon.