OREM — Saint Francis of Assisi Parish will host Franciscan Father Herald Joseph Brock on Oct. 31 for a day of prayer, reflection and spiritual enrichment as part of the Jubilee Year dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi.
The event will include presentations on the life and spirituality of St. Francis, Eucharistic adoration, the Sacrament of Confession, opportunities to obtain a plenary indulgence, and Mass.
The event was organized through the efforts of Father Omar Ontiveros, pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish, who contacted Fr. Brock “primarily for two reasons: He is a Franciscan friar, and he frequently supports us by providing spiritual direction to our priests,” Fr. Ontiveros said, adding that the friar accepted the invitation to speak “with great joy and enthusiasm, eager to come and share his experience – and, above all, the richness of the charism of Saint Francis of Assisi.”
In addition to the spiritual activities and lunch, attendees can look forward to an opportunity to strengthen their sense of community, Fr. Ontiveros said.
“It will be a wonderful opportunity to spend time with brothers and sisters from other parishes, pray together, and be inspired by the joy and profound peace that St. Francis always evokes,” he said.
Image CaptionSt. Francis’ spirituality remains particularly relevant in today’s world, Fr. Ontiveros said. “[St. Francis] is one of the great figures of our faith. His decision to live with complete detachment and blind trust in God carries an urgent message for us: in a world so full of haste, anxiety and material possessions, he teaches us to let go of the need to control things that are beyond our grasp. He invites us to make room for God, so that we may receive the peace we so desperately need.”The event will be bilingual, with opportunities for communal prayer at the beginning and end of the day. The talks and opportunities for Eucharistic adoration and the Sacrament of Confession will be organized in two language groups, while the closing celebration will include a bilingual Mass.
“While Fr. Brock presents to one group, the other will be in the church for Eucharistic adoration and confession. Afterward, we will swap, ensuring that everyone can participate in all the activities in their own language,” Fr. Ontiveros explained.
Inviting the faithful throughout the diocese to attend the event, Fr. Ontiveros highlighted the opportunity to experience the spiritual graces associated with the Jubilee Year.
“Although people may have visited our parish of St. Francis of Assisi on any day before the conclusion of the Jubilee to obtain a plenary indulgence, provided the usual conditions are met,  this event will be a wonderful opportunity to experience this grace as a community, united as a diocesan Church,” he said.
According to the Franciscan Mission Outreach Ministry, Fr. Brock joined the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal in 1988 and was ordained a priest in 1994. He has directed the friars’ shelters for homeless men in the Bronx and worked with YOUTH 2000 New York. During his missionary service in Honduras, he established St. Benedict Joseph Free Medical Center for the poor and Casa Guadalupe Missionary Center. In South Sudan, he built the House of Mercy Spiritual Center.
Fr. Brock has preached throughout the United States and traveled to more than 30 countries, primarily in the developing world.
The Jubilee Celebration of St. Francis of Assisi with Fr. Herald Joseph Brock will be Saturday, Oct. 31, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, 65 East 500 North, Orem. It is free; lunch will be provided.