Spencer Sacred Heart to hold parish mission

March 18, 2004

SPENCER - Sacred Heart Church in Spencer will host its next Generations of Faith event March 28 to 30. The topic of this parish mission is Call to Ministry Through Baptism.

The mission will be facilitated by Grayson Warren Brown, an internationally known liturgical composer, author and recording artist.

According to Kathy White, director of religious education at Sacred Heart, Brown will spend three evenings in the parish that will be "filled with faith exploration through scripture discussion, singing, and laughter. He will also speak at all of the weekend Masses on March 27-28, to invite all of us to participate in the mission."

The mission sessions will last from 7 to 8:30 p.m. each evening.

White pointed out that parishioners should feel free to attend one, two, or best of all - all three evenings as the discussion will be different each evening. However, the common theme is what it means to be a baptized Christian.

Brown began his liturgical ministry in the late 1960s in a small inner-city parish in New York City where he learned how significant an authentic, spirit-filled experience of worship can be to people in need of hope. His 20 years of experience working in a multicultural parish have given him a unique insight into the power that good liturgy can instill in people of all backgrounds.

He is now dividing his time between writing, composing and traveling the country to facilitate parish missions and give workshops/keynote addresses.

Sunday evening, a welcome potluck will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the school gym. Participants are asked to bring a salad, entree, or dessert. Refreshments and tableware will be provided. Tuesday evening, following the final session, a wine and cheese reception will be held for all participants. Child care and activities for babies and children through grade 6, with adult supervision, will be provided each evening. Middle school and high school students are encouraged to attend the mission with their parents or help with child care."Our parish mission with Grayson Warren Brown is the third of our Generation Christ activities for the year. In October, we held a Stewardship Fun Fair and in January, a Prayer Pathways event," noted White.