I made Cursillo number 132 in Quincy, Illinois back in September of 1994. I will admit that I was reluctant to go, but I am so glad I did. After thirty-two years, I still look back with fond memories.
This ministry continues to flourish. Quincy Cursillo offers eight weekends per year–four for the men and four for the women. Although I am many miles away from Quincy, I took part this weekend by praying from a distance. I lifted up in prayer all of the participants and the team members. I especially prayed for one of the presenters, my brother, who is a deacon of the Diocese of Jefferson City, Missouri. During the time of his talk, I spent the hour praying that his words would be empowered by the Holy Spirit to touch the hearts of God’s people.
It is evident that the success of this ministry is because of all the people who support it with their time, talent, treasure, and most of all, their prayer. Prayer is wrapped around every aspect of the planning, preparations, and execution of each weekend. The results speak for themselves.
If you are anywhere near (or far) from Quincy, Illinois, I would highly recommend making a Cursillo weekend. If you can’t attend in Quincy, check out your local diocese to see if Cursillo is active in your area. It will be worth your time and effort.
We raised more than $4,000 in thirty minutes surpassing the goal.
This was my third time on Catholic Radio Network. Raising funds to keep expanding and improving the outreach of Catholic radio is something I am happy to do.
Donations came in from folks I knew from Colorado, Wyoming, and Missouri. Thank you to each person responding to my appeal. Your generosity is greatly appreciated. I was able to ring the bell twice. The first time was for surpassing the thirty-minute goal of $3,600. We brought in over $4,000. The second time I was invited to ring the bell was when we reached ten donors. Awesome!
This past weekend was my first time serving as a deacon since my latest cancer diagnosis. It was great to be back, but I quickly realized on Saturday evening that I am not back to the level of strength and stamina that I had before surgery. I had a baptism at 3:00 pm and then I preached at the 5:00 pm Mass. In addition to being exhausted at the end, I also started losing my voice. I guess that is the most speaking I have done in months. Anyway, it was still a joy to be back with God’s people.
I am also looking forward to being back on Catholic radio again during the summer fundraiser. We continue to expand our outreach with the Good News of Jesus Christ across the airwaves. I am blessed to be part of this endeavor.
The goal is to get at least ten pledges of financial support during my one hour on the air. No gift is too big or too small. I am humbly asking you to support this cause. People’s lives are changed by hearing the Good News of Salvation.
My desire is to bring a message of hope to those who are hurting. Over the last four months I have spent a lot of time in medical facilities. My cancer diagnosis involved my primary care physician, a gastroenterologist, my cardiologist, a surgeon, and an oncologist. I have spent time in the infusion center as well as the hospital. The infusion center was near capacity each time I was there. I had to wait several weeks for surgery after being diagnosed. When I asked about the possibility of getting the surgery sooner, the surgeon simply replied, “Unfortunately, you aren’t the only one being diagnosed with cancer.” Bottom line–there are a lot of people carrying heavy burdens. If I can bring a spark of hope to them, i want to do it.
Once again, I invite you to listen in on the conversation and make a pledge to support the work of evangelization. Thank you for your consideration.
Dickeyville Grotto and Shrines in Dickeyville, Wisconsin
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops consecrated our nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus today on June 11. Tomorrow (June 12), the Church celebrates the Solemnity of The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
I want to encourage you to learn more about devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It can change your life. One of the most helpful books I have read is pictured below. It covers a brief summary of the life of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and explains the devotion in very understandable terms. Don’t miss the opportunity to immerse yourself into the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
My first diagnosis of cancer came in July of 1986. Yes, I am almost a 40-year survivor. Surgery and weeks of chemotherapy led to 52 days in the hospital. I went from being a collegiate athlete in two sports to needing help to just get out of bed a few years after graduation. That was quite the shift.
The uncertainty which encompasses one’s life while battling cancer is ever present. Do you dare make long-range plans?
Waiting for test results is a whole new exercise in the virtue of patience.
Relay for Life in 2014 Cheyenne, Wyoming
I am almost 25 years out from my second diagnosis with cancer. The first diagnosis came when I was single. The second diagnosis came after I was married and had two young children. I learned a whole new batch of concerns and anxieties to deal with as I pictured my wife and children continuing on in life if I didn’t make it. Somehow, I made it through again.
The cake is a little banged up. That is very symbolic of how I feel as I battle for the third time.
I was diagnosed with cancer for a third time a little less than four months ago. When asked if I wanted to do any traveling in retirement, I answered, “Yes.” I guess I should have been more specific. I wanted to go to fun places. Instead, I have traveled to my primary care doctor, the emergency room at the hospital, the gastroenterologist for a colonoscopy and an endoscopy, then to the hospital for a CT scan, then to the surgeon, then to the oncologist, then to the infusion lab, and on and on it goes. Those are not the travel plans I had envisioned for my retirement years.
It is not an easy journey, but there is a certain wisdom that starts to slowly dawn upon you in the midst of the struggle. You realize what is important. You learn where, and with whom, to invest time and energy. There will also be places, people, and things which may no longer be in your circle of attention. These changes are natural and necessary as one moves through the ordeal of confronting life and death head-on.
The spiritual aspect of the journey will be an awakening in and of itself. One cannot go through a battle with a life-threatening illness and come out unchanged. The heart will learn to love more deeply or become cold and embittered. In all of the decisions that are made during medical treatments, the internal decisions we make in our response to the disease will determine so much more. Regardless of how much time we have remaining on this earth, we want to do more than survive. We want to thrive. That is a decision of the heart.
Blessings and peace to each of you striving for health, wholeness, and holiness!
The cake was a little banged up. Symbolic of the cancer survivor!
I have attended a few Cancer Survivor Events over the last 40 years. Let’s face it. Cancer seems to touch almost every family in some way. The pain and suffering are truly heartbreaking to see.
My latest journey into the cancer battle has sparked something in me. I want to see World Day of the Sick become more prevalent in the Church across the United States. Pope John Paul II instituted this day 35 years ago. It seems like it has gained very little traction here in the United States. It is my intent to change that. How am I going to do that? I am not sure yet, but ideas are percolating.
Mark it on your 2027 calendar now. It is on February 11, each year on the feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes. What can you do in your family, your parish, your local Catholic hospital, nursing home, or hospice center? How can we minister more effectively to families who are suffering? Have you considered becoming a Stephen Minister?
I have eight months to brainstorm. I will be doing something to raise awareness of this important day to spur prayer and action all year long. It is my desire that we lift one another up in spite of the toxic tone so very prevalent in modern day culture. If we as Church do not set the standard for caring for the sick, who will?
To all of you who have survived cancer, or any other life-threatening illness, I know it wasn’t easy. You have the wounds–physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually–but you continue on with grit. May you see God’s blessing in the midst of the struggles!
I encourage you to visit the official website to learn more at www.ncsd.org.My Journey of Survival–40 Years (first diagnosis), 25 Years (2nd diagnosis), 4 months (3rd diagnosis)!Blessings to all who are currently engaged in the battle!
The website address of www.deaconvernon.com has been my primary domain for many years. Unfortunately, social media outlets squelched my reach during the pandemic, and the algorithms have never seemed to show me any grace since then. Thus, it is time for a fresh start.
My webmaster is actively attempting to transfer ten years of blog posts from www.deaconvernon.com to www.articulatinghope.com. It is a time-consuming process, but I am grateful we will be able to preserve those posts in the archive section of the new website.
You can find my public page on Facebook under Articulating Hope. That is also a switch. My primary page has been Deacon Vernon, but the overseers at that particular organization saw fit to completely lock me out of my account for a while during the pandemic. My audience never returned, because most of them weren’t seeing my posts.
My recent cancer diagnosis has reminded me of the shortness of time on this earth and the length of eternity. Thus, I want to strive to make good use of the time I have been given to share in the preaching, teaching, and healing ministry of Christ. It is my intent to use these pages to bring you, the reader, blessings and encouragement to live a life focused on the Lord. Yes, my goal is to be ARTICULATING HOPE!
