Midwest, USA – Brothers in initial formation gathered virtually this past weekend for the second of their biannual retreat weekends. Yes, DENA’s own Paul Avvento, Steven Barbaro, JD Macioce, and Kyle Mena joined their eight peers from RELAN on Friday and Saturday, February 12th and 13th. The Midwest served as host and each of their Brothers in initial formation moderated sessions and led prayer.
There were a total of four virtual sessions throughout the weekend focusing on the theme:
“Brothers: Passionate Witnesses to Fraternity.”
Friday evening opened with a prayer and welcome allowing Brothers to check-in and catch-up. A morning and afternoon session on Saturday allowed for two separate panels of guest Brothers. The morning panel consisted of Brothers Michael Lee Anderson, Joel McGraw, and Robert Smith. The afternoon panel consisted of Brothers Robert Schieler, Tom Sullivan, and Rob Veselsky. Each Brother shared his experience and insight regarding how Brothers are called to be passionate witnesses to fraternity. Each panelist was also able to join a small group for further discussion after their presentations.
Saturday ended with the Brothers in initial formation discussing what they heard and experienced and how to integrate wisdom gleaned into their daily lives as Brothers. The closing prayer celebrated the Feast of Br. James Miller and was prepared and led by Matthew Kotek. Matt is currently living in community in Cairo, Egypt while waiting to return to the Fratelli Project in Lebanon. All activities throughout the weekend were well received and Brothers seemed pleased and inspired by their time together.
