Your prayers and support are drawing hearts closer to the Heart of Christ. Our national office staff is busy!
School of the Heart
In the last newsletter I indicated some new programs in the works. I’m happy to let you know that the PWPN-USA national office is kicking off a very special offering called School of the Heart. Members of our national team will accompany the leadership teams of ministries such as Catholic parishes and schools, or other organizations, to help them do everything they do more prayerfully.
Last summer we sent out a survey to Catholic Leaders across the country; the responses highlighted a need for people, including those in ministry, to learn how to pray more deeply. That’s what the Pope’s Prayer Network is all about! Some of us on our staff have worked as pastors, Catholic school principals, and youth ministers. From our experience, we know that it can be a challenge for people in ministry to pray together on a regular basis and continue to be open to discern the Holy Spirit guiding their work. Even when we might be praying pretty well individually, and certainly helping other people to pray through the work of our ministry, it can sometimes be difficult to pray together as a team.
This is where School of the Heart comes in. The PWPN-USA offers a private retreat experience for organizational leaders, followed by several months of spiritual accompaniment. Just like each of us can benefit from having a spiritual mentor at any point in our faith journey (even St. Teresa of Avila had a spiritual director!), School of the Heart aims to provide accompaniment for a whole ministry team. Our pilot program is already active in several organizations.
New editions of The Pope Video
On the international level, we’ve loved praying with the new format of The Pope Video. Each month, Pope Leo XIV dedicates time to film a video which invites us into prayer with him for his monthly intention. You can check it out on the international PWPN site: popesprayer.va/praywiththepope. What an amazing thing to see the Holy Father taking the time to invite us into prayer for these 12 intentions closest to his heart this year.
A Visit to Rome–and the U.S.
Speaking of Pope Leo, I had the great blessing of meeting the Holy Father in person in January as part of the annual meeting in Rome of the international council of the PWPN. Together as the international delegation who shared the audience with our first U.S.-born pope, we were able to present a Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network one-of-a-kind baseball jersey! (See photo)
At that same international meeting, I was able to meet for the first time in person the other PWPN continental coordinators and learn much more about the beautiful and varied work of the Prayer Network in all the different countries and cultures in which it serves the Church.
Following the Rome meeting, international PWPN Director Fr. Cristóbal Fones, SJ returned the favor and made a visit to the USA! I was able to accompany Fr. Fones on visits with leadership of the US bishop’s conference and Jesuits in Washington, D.C., doing some media interviews in New York, and finally meeting with the U.S. national office in Milwaukee.
U.S. Missions
The Hearts on Fire young adult program, founded by the PWPN-USA in 2010, continues sharing the wealth of the Spiritual Exercises and the prayer practices of the PWPN. Retreats are scheduled in Washington, D.C., Milwaukee, and Boston.
Grace Mazza Urbanski, our assistant national director, and I have also been able to lead people deeper into prayer with the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Morning Offering, and the pope’s monthly intentions in settings as varied as a silent retreat for seminarians, a retreat for Catholic school principals and parish leaders, a Lenten parish mission, and other diocesan and community groups.
Thank you so much for your prayers and your support that make all of this ministry possible! On our website you’ll find a place to make an offering to further the PWPN mission, as well as information about legacy gifts and bequests. Thank you as always for prayerfully considering your support.
Jesus, our world is deeply in need of you. Help us each to grow as apostles of prayer, and to share the good news of the love of your Sacred Heart with others. Together with Pope Leo and for his intentions, we continue to offer you our prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of each day for the fruitfulness of your Church’s mission throughout the world. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you!
Fr. Phil Hurley, SJ
National Director
Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network USA