Saint Max Church

Hearts Afire

The Hearts Afire Parish-based Programs are a bold and fresh approach to small group, adult faith formation at Catholic parishes. Structured around the bestselling books and videos by popular author and retreat master Fr. Michael Gaitley, MIC, these simple programs are setting hearts on fire in thousands of parishes across the globe. Gaitley offers a Do-It-Yourself Retreat, 33 Days to Morning Glory, a journey toward total consecration to Jesus through the Blessed Mother (aka, Marian Consecration). Every week for four weeks one reads about a well-known saint of Marian consecration, including St. Maximilian Kolbe! Stop by the parish office for your free hard copy of his book. Then, for the fullest experience, access Fr. Gaitley's weekly videos (6 total) and workbook on FORMED. Whether you want to do this as a self-guided spiritual journey or host a small group, it is easy for you to follow for 33 days and plan for your consecration on a Marian feast day. Interested? Please contact Jane Rowland with any questions about materials, FORMED, or Marian Consecration.

Naturally, when Mary is invited to assist in one's spiritual growth, she begins to lead us closer to her Divine Son!  The next retreat in the series is the Consoling the Heart of Jesus group retreat.  In this retreat, participants discover the joy and peace that come from accepting and trusting in Jesus' merciful love.  This is an opportunity to encounter the living Jesus in a deeply personal way and discover what obstacles are keeping us from getting closer to Him.  Consoling the Heart is a 10-week retrea book.

The third retreat is The One Thing Is Three, a more deeply theological group study aimed at fostering growth in wisdom.  Participants learn why our belief in the communion of the Trinity forms the foundation of our Catholic faith.  The conversational tone of the book makes it accessible to anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the Church's teachings.  Even lifelong Catholics will discover amazing new beauty and richness in concepts and practices they had thought "familiar."  The supplemental book that accompanies this study, You Did It to Me: A Practical Guide to Mercy in Action, offers very concrete and practical ways to perform works of mercy in one's daily life. The One Thing is Three is a 10-week group study.

Ministry Contacts

Jane Rowland
(513) 755-0625