Two nights of spiritual enrichment will be offered by St. John Paul II Parish on Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 14-15, in Cape Elizabeth or online, according to a news release from Ryan Bilodeau, MTS Communications Associate, St. John Paul II Parish.
Fr. Will Tarraza, OFM Cap., a native of Cape Elizabeth, and Fr. Ryan Connors will present “Totally Yours: Learning from John Paul II.” Both nights of the retreat are available through in-person attendance at St. Bartholomew Church on Two Lights Road or online at jp2me.org.
On Wednesday, Oct. 14, Connors, a graduate of Boston College, will present “John Paul II: A Saint for Our Times” at 7 p.m. In 2011, Connors earned a Bachelor of Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, Italy, and a Licentiate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum), also in Rome. He is a priest of the Diocese of Providence and a professor of theology at Saint John’s Seminary in Brighton, Massachusetts.
On Thursday, Oct. 15, Tarraza, who attended St. Bartholomew as a youth, will present “Living the Spirituality of John Paul II in Our Daily Lives” at 7 p.m. He studied at the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry and completed his ministerial formation at St. Francis of Assisi Friary in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. Tarraza serves as a friar for the Capuchin Franciscans, who work toward ensuring that the light of Christ is not obscured by ignorance, poverty, or injustice. Since his ordination to the priesthood in 2017, Tarraza has served in parish ministry in Brooklyn and Long Island, New York, and has started further studies in spirituality at Boston College.
In July, St. Bartholomew Parish in Cape Elizabeth, St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish in Scarborough, and St. John and Holy Cross Parish in South Portland joined to form the new St. John Paul II Parish. The three churches maintained their individual names under the common patronage and intercession of St. John Paul II.
Reservations are required to attend the retreat in person. For more information, visit jp2me.org. The retreat is free, though donations will be gratefully accepted.
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