Tag Archives: Fr. Kevin Oiland

Marky Mark

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It was a Mark Wahlberg weekend for us. On Friday night, Sidney and I had the opportunity to enjoy a date night together. We ventured to downtown Spokane where we ate at P.F. Chang’s and then we went across the street to River Park Square where we visited the AMC Theater to watch “Flight Risk.” Wahlberg plays a bald-headed villain who pilots a plane with a U.S. marshal and captured fugitive on board with the hopes of leading them astray. Sid and I appreciated the rare chance to watch a move in the theater and were quite entertained by what transpired on the big screen.

Our tickets for “Flight Risk.”

On Saturday night, we watched “The Union” on Netflix. Wahlberg had a full head of hair in this one as he is recruited by his high school sweetheart (Halle Berry) into a covert organization to embark on an espionage mission. Let’s just say we didn’t gain much by watching it.

Even though the second Wahlberg movie of the weekend was a dud, it doesn’t mean that we won’t ever watch another film with him in it. My wife is a huge Marky Mark fan. In fact, her dad is too. Whenever those two get a chance to watch a Wahlberg movie together, you better believe they are going to cook up the popcorn and remain glued to the TV from start to finish.

I have grown to be a Mark Wahlberg fan, too. He is a versatile actor but also a faith-filled person. Wahlberg is a devout Catholic who has used his platform to evangelize and bring others closer to Christ. Talk about a role model!

When I think of Mark Wahlberg, three favorite movies come to mind…

We are Mark Wahlberg fans!

3. The Departed – Talk about a trip! This film has you guessing the whole way through and nothing beats the final 20 minutes when the cops and gangsters are both trying to figure out who infiltrated their respective organizations. Wahlberg didn’t need to carry the cast because he had Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson, and Alec Baldwin helping him out.

2. Fr. Stu – This movie is a true story about a rough-around-the-edges guy who dabbled in boxing, acting, and plenty of booze before meeting a special girl. They started dating and her faith influenced Stu so much that he converted to Catholicism. After a near death motorcycle accident, Stu decides to end the relationship and begin the process of becoming a priest. Watching “Fr. Stu” was so powerful because you could tell Wahlberg was playing it with authenticity and reverence. One cool fact: My friend, Fr. Kevin Oiland, actually went to seminary with Fr. Stu.

1. Lone Survivor – Possibly my favorite war movie ever, Mark Wahlberg plays Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrel. The film had me on pins and needles the entire time and the scene where he thanks the local Afghan tribe for shielding him from the Taliban after his rescue gives me goosebumps. It is possibly the most memorable movie I have ever watched in a theater. After a stoic and respectful audience watched in silence from beginning to end, a thunderous ovation endued the moment the credits rolled.

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After that ode to Mark Wahlberg, I feel like Sidney and I need to find another movie of his to watch tonight. Any suggestions? Don’t Blink.

2024: Making Moves

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It was a questionable start. On January 1, I attended mass at St. Paschal Catholic Church. As Fr. Kevin Oiland chanted the Eucharistic prayer, a point in the mass that requires the faithful to be dialed in and reverent, I couldn’t take it anymore. Asking God for his forgiveness, I did the unthinkable and dashed out of the service.

I was sick.

The rest of my New Year’s Day was spent in bed or at the toilet throwing up. It was quite the miserable way to begin 2024 and I couldn’t shake what it might mean for the remaining 365 days (leap year) to follow. I wondered aloud to Sidney: Hopefully this isn’t an omen for the rest of the year…

Thankfully, it wasn’t.

2024 has been a blessed year for our family.

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I always say that even-numbered years bring about more change and surprises for my family than odd-numbered years. In 2024, this observation held true once again, at least from a professional standpoint. Duties, habits, commutes, and school drop-off routines were dramatically altered when I accepted the director of marketing position with Eastern Washington University.

But aside from that somewhat major development, the rest of our year was pretty low key. How low key? Consider that our family, at least up through yesterday, didn’t get on an airplane once nor did we visit any other state besides neighboring Idaho. Despite the lack of travel, we still managed to stay busy…

In January, Sloan figured a new way to generate revenue when she lost her first tooth. Speaking of my first-born, the next month Sloan asked me for the third-straight year to be her date at the St. Mary daddy-daughter dance. Also in February, Beau celebrated his fourth birthday with a Bluey-themed party and a few weeks later, Sid and I would present at our first Engaged Encounter retreat. Spring arrived and Beau played t-ball while Sloan hit the soccer field again. A Taylor Swift-themed birthday party for a certain 7-year-old was epically pulled off by Sidney. A new niece arrived in May when my brother and sister-in-law welcomed their first child, Olivia.

In January, Sloan lost her first tooth!

As is typically the case, things sped up during the second half of the year. A trip to Walla Walla to celebrate my aunt’s 60th birthday in June unofficially kicked off our summer. Wedding season also commenced this month as multiple couples Sid and I mentored entered into the sacrament of holy matrimony. Our family made memories volunteering at Hoopfest. In July, Sid’s parents visited from South Carolina and had their stay happily extended due to the CrowdStrike snafu. When the month ended, so did my employment with Washington State University. I would begin at EWU on August 1. After working my first week, we took a family vacation to Leavenworth. The fall was filled with festivals, galas, and birthday parties. Thanksgiving and Christmas were both celebrated with my family but the year is ending in South Carolina as the kids were given a surprise trip to visit “Gami and Dada” in South Carolina.

Sid’s parents visited us in July.

So that is the quick two-paragraph rundown of the events of 2024 but what about the themes? I am glad you asked. I can pinpoint two…

The first theme is emergence. Sid and I “put ourselves out there” by leading retreats and honing our public speaking skills. From a work perspective, taking a higher level job and overseeing more people also took a leap of faith. Sloan’s bravery increased as she became more comfortable in the water and fearless when it came to thrill rides. Beau shook off nerves and competed on his first sports team.

Sidney presenting at the March 1-3 Engaged Encounter weekend while Fr. Pat Kerst and Joe Schroeder look on.

We also faced disruption in 2024. As I mentioned earlier, our solid routines were turned upside down when I changed jobs. Sidney and I pretty much flip-flopped the household/kid duties we championed for the past couple years. It was tough at times but we managed and are now relatively comfortable with our roles. While we faced our own personal disruption, the nation was simultaneously facing its own. The presidential election was bitter and it polarized Americans. I followed the race extremely closely and was shocked when President-Elect Trump cruised to an 86-point Electoral College landslide victory over Kamala Harris.

Taking a job at Eastern Washington University caused some major adjustments to our daily routines and how we care for the kids.

In addition to those two unique themes of 2024, the same three values I highlight every year continued to be key for the Resers…

It all starts with family. With the four of us pretty much staying put this year, we had lots of time to spend together. Our house was a refuge as we spent lots of time reading, baking, and praying inside it. We cheered each other on at sporting events, volunteered together, and explored our Spokane community. A couple road trips resulted in precious bonding and our vacation to Leavenworth provided us with memories we will always hold dear. The Summer Olympics captivated our household and gave us hours of entertainment in which we learned about competition, the world, and pride for our country. Holidays, family dinners, and watch parties for my extended family became a tad more crowded this year. My niece, Olivia, was born in May but don’t worry—my parents had no issue finding extra room to accommodate the Reser family’s newest addition 😂. Sidney’s family also added a new face with nephew Patrick! I couldn’t be happier that Sid and the kids are spending time with him and everyone else in Myrtle Beach as this year comes to a close.

Sloan and Beau meet Olivia for the first time.

When it comes to our faith, it was another solid year. There might not be a greater blessing than sending our kids to the school that is connected to our parish. I’ll tell you what, Jesus was spot on when he lauded the purity of a child’s faith. It seems like each day that Sloan and Beau attend St. Mary School, they come home and teach me something about the bible or saints. Speaking of saints, Sloan was named a Future Saint of the Week in 2024. She also served as a lector, attended Catholic Summer Camp, and spoke of her faith development in the St. Mary promotional video. As a family we made a pilgrimage to the St. Francis of Assisi crèche in Spokane, attended every St. Mary Family Faith Night we could, and served as greeters at mass. Sid and I continued to grow with our Young Adult Catholic group, mentored more engaged couples for marriage, and presented at Engaged Encounter retreats. We celebrated the 13th ordination of Fr. Jeff Lewis, said goodbye to Fr. Kevin Oiland, and collaborated with Fr. Pat Kerst. Although I still continue to ask God every night to increase my faith, I feel I am making progress thanks in large part because of those I have around me.

My brother and I receive a blessing from Fr. David Gaines right outside of Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral during Bloomsday 2024.

Because of my supportive family and a strong faith, it allows Sid and me to pursue our careers with zeal. I couldn’t be prouder of the year my wife had with Traveler’s Insurance. She led multiple teams of international customer service employees, helped launch brand new software, participated in the company’s 24-hour Innovation Jam, and added so much to the daily workplace culture. I split my year between two great public Washington higher ed institutions. At WSU, my strategy to revamp our YouTube presence and the effort I led to recognize our system’s top graduating seniors earned award recognition from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). I was also proud of the #CougCounties social media campaign I introduced that spanned the state of Washington. At EWU I played a role in our brand evolution, assisted with the launch of our comprehensive fundraising campaign, and produced our holiday video. Over the past 12 months, the accomplishments at both universities were made possible by empowering bosses and talented team members.

Just like at WSU, when I started at EWU, I was connected with some awesome colleagues. This photo is of our film crew for the holiday video (L-R: Luke Kenneally, Sean Nelms, Me, Ginny Baxter).

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Wow, have I gone on long enough? I think so. But what do you expect? Like I said in my first blog post of the year, 2024 was an “every four years type of year.” As we lived our busy lives, a slate of 12 months highlighted by an extra day, the Summer Olympics, and a Presidential Election transpired in the background. It was a lot.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this year a great one for my family.

As 2024 comes to a close, I am thankful for the many fruits yielded over the past 365 days (with the 366th day coming tomorrow). I am also mindful of the sorrows. Sidney lost her Uncle Tony and although he was mostly out of my family’s picture for the past 23 years, my Uncle Cliff passed away earlier this month. With 2025 almost here, let’s pray for health and peace. Thank you to my readers for an awesome year and I will see you all on the other side of the ball dropping. Don’t Blink.

Continuing His Journey: Fr. Kevin Oiland

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It started with a text. Shortly after moving to Spokane, Sidney and I were looking for a way to find community. We got word that a Spokane Valley Catholic young adult group was starting so I didn’t hesitate to text the phone number listed on the bulletin advertisement. The person who the number belonged to, Fr. Kevin Oiland, responded immediately. That text would dramatically shape the next Reser chapter in our new corner of the country.

This text exchange with Fr. Kevin in September 2020 would lead to so much fruit.

When I think of Fr. Kevin, I immediately feel a debt of gratitude. His work with Fr. Jeff Lewis to create a Catholic young adult group came at the perfect moment for my wife and me. The people we met would become our best friends and companions in Christ. Although simply getting the group off the ground was noteworthy enough for Fr. Kevin to always remain in our prayers, we were spoiled enough to be in his consistent presence for nearly four years after I first exchanged texts with him.

A photo of my family with Fr. Kevin Oiland at a going-away party our young adult group hosted for him.

Fr. Kevin Oiland served as pastor at the Spokane Valley Catholic parishes of St. John Vianney and St. Paschal from July 1, 2018 up through this past Sunday. As is custom in the Roman Catholic Church, priests are given new assignments throughout their ministries. In Fr. Kevin’s case, he recently moved to Walla Walla to become pastor at St. Patrick and St. Francis of Assisi. All I can say is that those parishes landed an incredible priest.

I am sad to see Fr. Kevin go. I truly appreciated his demeanor, kindness, and talents. A soft-spoken priest who was humble to the core, Fr. Kevin made me feel at ease and secure in his presence. In fact, although I wasn’t a parishioner at his parishes, I would occasionally watch the livestreams of his masses just to hear his relatable and conversational homilies. I admired his approach to spiritual warfare in that it is better to make preemptive preparations instead of leaving it all up to the moment of attack. For those more connected to a traditional form of Catholicism, Fr. Kevin shared with the Spokane Valley community his reverent skill of offering the Latin mass at various different times. He also brought an unmatchable passion for/knowledge of G.K. Chesterdon.

Fr. Kevin Oiland speaks to our Catholic young adult group at a special retreat in April 2023.

I have a couple of Fr. Kevin stories that will stay with me. A couple years ago, a group of us from our young adult group played flag football on Saturdays during the fall. My birthday fell on one of those Saturdays and Sidney helped coordinate a surprise party for me at the field. Besides the flag football players I expected to see, there was also a redhead in a cassock who joined the celebration. Yep, Fr. Kevin devoted part of his Saturday morning solely to show up in-person to wish me a happy birthday.

Fr. Kevin Oiland celebrated his 15th anniversary of ordination to the priesthood in June (graphic courtesy of the Diocese of Spokane).

Then there was the death of Fr. Kevin’s mom, Laura Oiland. Any words would fail to convey the closeness of that mother-son relationship. I had the opportunity to attend the rosary vigil and I won’t forget walking into Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral and seeing Fr. Kevin up front kneeling in front of his mom’s casket in deep prayer. I was immediately touched by a sense of sadness yet peace. Fr. Kevin would then lead a beautiful and profound rosary service for his mom. I walked out thinking, if only all of us could be commended to God in such a holy way.

Fr. Kevin Oiland (right), baptizes Eden, the daughter of one of the flagship couples of our young adult group. Although most of us weren’t parishioners of Fr. Kevin’s parishes, we still asked him to celebrate one-time sacraments such as baptisms and marriages for us.

Finally, I just want to relate how much Fr. Kevin cared for his flock. He sincerely considers the soul of everyone. Just this year he organized a local pilgrimage for our young adult group to visit St. Francis of Assisi in Spokane so we could obtain a special indulgence for praying at a creche run by Franciscans. Although not the parish priest for most of us in our group, he still presided over some of our marriages and baptisms of our children. He never ceased praying for us and our causes. When my aunt died (just a couple weeks after his mom died), he offered comfort.

Our Catholic young adult group poses inside St. Francis of Assisi in Spokane for a photo after praying at the parish’s creche. Fr. Kevin Oiland is on the left side of the photo in the top row.

Fr. Kevin once addressed our group about life. He likened it to a journey with the final destination hopefully being Heaven. I know his new assignment in Walla Walla is just the latest step on his own journey to eternal joy with God. Please make sure to pray for him. Don’t Blink.

Another Special Holiday Break At Home

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Alright, I made it through the first couple days of work for 2024. I think we can agree that returning to the office after the holidays can be tough. But I believe that working those initial days of the new year can give you a better appreciation of what you got to experience while on break. Such is the case for me.

For the second consecutive year, I had the relaxing advantage of staying put in Spokane for the holiday break. My children completed their last school day of the calendar year on Friday, Dec. 15, and I worked my last day of the calendar year on Tuesday, Dec. 19. From the evening of that Tuesday through New Year’s Day, we had a spectacular time together. As I did last year, I want to offer up 10 of the activities we engaged in during our holiday break…

Ornament Craft – As I said in my intro, we literally started doing fun stuff on that Tuesday night. Our kickoff event was at the North Spokane County Library where Sloan and Beau joined their cousins for an ornament craft. The kids made sleigh decorations with Sloan placing a snowman in her sled while cousin Mikayla crafted a Santa to ride in hers.

Sloan and her cousin, Mikayla, making Christmas crafts at the library.

Geocache – At Sloan’s request, we ventured into the world of geocaching during break. We devoted an entire afternoon to finding them. Although we couldn’t seem to find the geocache at the first location as Beau’s bladder forced us to stop sooner than desired, we did find the capsule at the second geocache location we visited.

Sloan holds her first-ever Geocache capsule.

Flying High – After my kids expressed their desire to get strapped into a bungee and jump high, my parents told Sloan and Beau they would take them during winter break. Grandma and Papa lived up to their word when they met us at Fanorama Bungee in the Spokane Valley Mall. With cousins Mikayla and Johnny in tow, the four kids had an excellent time jumping for the stars. Wait a second—scratch that—Beau wanted out the moment he was strapped in 😂. But the other three kids definitely had fun.

Sloan jumping her heart out at Fanorama Bungee

Bowling – I took Sloan and Beau to Lilac Lanes for 60 minutes of bowling mania. We set up the bumpers and Beau had a ball ramp so they could each have the chance to actually knock down pins. Much to my surprise, we only had to call the staff over once to retrieve a ball that stopped in the middle of the lane.

We bowled a few strikes at Lilac Lanes.

The Grinch – Spokane’s old-fashioned Garland Theater welcomed the three of us for a showing of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” starring Jim Carrey. Sloan and Beau had a fun time eating popcorn and “stretching their legs” as they took a couple “breaks” from the movie to walk around our section of the majestic theater. Me? I walked in thinking I didn’t like the Jim Carrey version but actually thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.

I actually really enjoyed watching “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” at the Garland Theater.

We Play – Thanks to the generosity of Numerica, Spokane’s best play center opened its doors for free over winter break. On Dec. 22, admission was complimentary for the entire community. You better believe we took advantage! My sister and her two kids (you are very familiar with them by now…Mikayla and Johnny) met us at the facility for a hardcore play session that left the kids very entertained but surprisingly (and unfortunately) not very tired.

Thanks to Numerica, the kids played free at We Play.

Baptism – On the Saturday before Christmas Eve, the three of us (Sid had to work) went to St. John Vianney Catholic Church for the baptism of Eden Rose, the baby daughter of our friends, Brian and Hailey. Fr. Kevin Oiland performed the baptism as Fr. Jeff Lewis had the blessing of being selected as the godfather! Eden did a great job remaining calm for most of the ceremony, even when the holy water was poured over her head.

Hailey looks over her daughter, Eden, during the baptismal ceremony. Fr. Jeff Lewis, Eden’s godfather, is on the left. Fr. Kevin Oiland, who performed the baptism, is on the right.

Hibachi – As a Christmas gift from me to Sid and the kids, we ate at Fujiyama Japanese Steak House. What a fun and cozy place to eat! Our friends, Dylan and Fidela, joined us for the evening as our cook entertained and amazed us. Although Beau was a little afraid of the flames at first, he warmed up to it all. And oh yes…it was delicious!

Entertainment and delicious food is a great combination. We had a lot of fun at Fujiyama.

Mobius Discovery Center – Who says education can’t be cool? To be honest, visiting this children’s museum may have been the most fun activity that the kids did the entire break. I couldn’t believe how engaged Beau was with everything from the “launch it” stations, excavation pit, bubble area, and costume corner. When it came to Sloan, I literally let her loose and didn’t see her until it was time to go.

The kids may have had the most fun this break at Mobius Discovery Center.

Trampoline Park – It wouldn’t be a winter break without a trampoline park visit, right? On New Year’s Eve weekend I took the kids to Flying Squirrel. The best part? Sloan and Beau actually honored my request that they just jump and NOT hassle me about the arcade games.

Is it even winter break if you don’t go to a trampoline park? This is Beau at Flying Squirrel.

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It was a dad’s dream to have so much quality time with his kids. I am very fortunate to have a job where I am able to take an extended period of time during the holidays to re-charge and be with family. As I predicted in my Dec. 19 blog post, memories were made! Don’t Blink.

Happy 12th Ordination Anniversary, Fr. Jeff

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It is a date that Sidney and I now celebrate just like family birthdays and our wedding anniversary. When May 26 rolls around we immediately recognize it for one reason: The ordination anniversary of our pastor, Fr. Jeff Lewis.

Today, Friday, May 26, 2023, Fr. Jeff Lewis celebrates his 12th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood. Earlier this week we got a head start on the celebrating as we recognized his anniversary at our Engaged Encounter meeting.

Today marks the 12th anniversary of when Fr. Jeff was ordained to the priesthood. We are proud to say we have known “Papa J” for almost a quarter of those dozen years.

During the nearly three years we have known Fr. Jeff, he has helped get us involved in different ministries. One of those is St. Mary’s marriage prep Pre-Cana program where we get the opportunity to mentor engaged couples. This photo is of Sid, Fr. Jeff. and I with Sarah and Brendan–a couple we mentored who will get married in July.

The first time we walked through the doors of St. Mary Catholic Church, Fr. Jeff greeted us immediately. After some small talk he asked us where we lived in the Spokane Valley. We told him the area where we had recently settled and even though we were on the wrong side of Pines Road and thus outside the parish lines, Fr. Jeff laughed and said, “It’s okay, you’re welcome here anyway…just don’t tell Fr. Kevin” (Fr. Kevin Oiland is the pastor of St. John Vianney Parish, the Catholic community we technically should have attended based on geography).

Fr. Jeff and Fr. Kevin Oiland started a Young Adult Group for Spokane Valley Catholics. It launched 2.5 years ago and because of the time and energy that Fr. Jeff and Fr. Kevin devoted to it, our group continues to grow and thrive. This effort by the two priests really helped Sidney and I find friends and grow in our faith upon moving to Washington.

Fr. Jeff was exactly what we needed after our cross country move and Sidney’s recent conversion to Catholicism. We joined his Young Adult Group that he started with Fr. Kevin and from there he kept getting us more and more involved in other ministries—both at the parish and diocesan levels. Just a text message away, Fr. Jeff has always been there for us. Whether we have needed him for the sacraments, a house blessing, prayer support, his presence at retreats/events, a Hoopfest sponsorship, or a host of other things, he continues to be that constant rock in our daily drive to grow closer to God.

Fr. Jeff Lewis with us at our house blessing.

We admire Fr. Jeff for his faith, self-deprecating sense of humor, and the insane schedule he maintains. Sidney and I are grateful for how much he cares about St. Mary School and its mission to deliver the best Catholic education possible. Speaking of children, it warms our hearts how he always makes time for Sloan and Beau, effortlessly connecting with them no matter the situation. I am inspired by his ambitious goals for evangelization, his commitment to his parishioners, and his love/defense of the Catholic Church.

Fr. Jeff has a genuine love for children…and the relationship is reciprocal! You should see how excited Sloan and Beau get when they see Fr. Jeff.

In my life, I have never had a priest as invested in me as Fr. Jeff. Because of this, I can only say Thanks Be To God. Let us pray that impactful and holy priests like Fr. Jeff Lewis continue to be invigorated by their vocation. Happy anniversary to our very special pastor. Don’t Blink.

Our Spokane Valley Young Adult Retreat

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What a blessed Saturday it was! Yesterday, Sidney and I traveled to the majestic Clearwater Lodge near Newport, Washington, for a special retreat. But what made this particular Catholic retreat so “special,” you ask? Well, two reasons…

1. This was a retreat sponsored by our Spokane Valley Young Adult Catholic Group, the same group that has meant so much to our family over the past 2.5 years.

2. The retreat was my wife’s idea and she served as co-organizer alongside Hailey Eames, the chief go-getter extraordinaire of our group.

Our retreat took place at Clearwater Lodge, an area near Newport, Washington, that is situated right on Davis Lake (photo courtesy of Fidela)

By 8 a.m. on Saturday morning, 20 of us showed up inside the Creekside Pavilion for a day of sacramental nourishment, spiritual growth, and fellowship. The retreat would be based on the theme of living in the world, not of the world. As we gathered and took our seats, it was obvious that Sid’s idea, Hailey’s tireless work, and God’s will had positioned us for a faith-filled experience.

While at Clearwater Lodge our group was assigned to the Creekside Pavilion.

The day started with mass. With the scenic Davis Lake as a backdrop, Fr. Jeff Lewis and Fr. Kevin Oiland, the two priests who started our young adult group, presided over a makeshift altar. As they processed in and our talented young adult singers proclaimed the entrance antiphon, I tapped Sidney and showed her my arm…goosebumps. Fr. Jeff set the tone for the day by delivering a homily that encouraged us to turn to God for all things—big and small.

Everything set just prior to mass. As the mass went on, the fog you see over the lake would burn off and a spectacular morning view would take shape.

When mass concluded, we ate breakfast and then Sidney was up! She outlined the day’s itinerary and then spoke from the heart. Using the Beatitude of Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven, Sidney challenged us throughout the course of the day to recognize our spiritual bankruptcy and embrace the Holy Spirit. I couldn’t help but admire my wife. After just three years since becoming Catholic, Sidney was already organizing retreats and delivering reflections. Thanks be to God!

Sidney delivers the opening talk at our retreat. I was so proud of her!

After Sidney finished, it was time for our retreat headliner. Sister Christiana Marie was kind enough to spend her day with our group and impart her wisdom upon us. Challenging us to humbly recognize that God establishes our identity while our earthly circumstances merely shape it, Sister Christiana reminded us to be full in spirit and dependent on the Lord. We then broke into small groups and discussed how Sister’s principles of identity, humility, and fidelity fit into our own lives.

Sister Christiana Marie delivers the keynote address at our retreat.

The next phase of the retreat took us outside where we gathered for Lectio Divina, a type of prayer that focuses on examining scripture in an in-depth and immersive manner. Hailey masterfully led the exercise as we prayed through St. Luke’s account of the paralytic who was lowered down to Jesus into a crowded room through the roof. With the lake in front of us and the birds chirping above us, it was a soothing and reflective experience.

Hailey leads us in Lectio Divina.

Next up was adoration and confession. We went back inside the Creekside Pavilion and spent a holy hour in front of the blessed sacrament. As adoration took place, Fr. Jeff and Fr. Kevin took their places outside the pavilion to hear confessions. It was my first time ever confessing outdoors and it felt so freeing to be “one with nature” while receiving this holy sacrament.

This cross was at the top of a rocky cliff area and was visible from the Creekside Pavilion at Clearwater Lodge. We would hike to it later in the day.

At lunch, Sidney and I sat at a table with Sister Christiana. She possesses such an engaging personality and it was such a pleasure to listen to her speak about her life and vocation.

Our group enjoys lunch in the Clearwater Lodge dining hall. We shared lunch with another group who was also on retreat.

The afternoon portion of the retreat started with a talk from Fr. Kevin Oiland about spiritual warfare. He took a refreshing approach of teaching us ways to be preemptive in our spiritual battles. For a topic that is mostly discussed via an “in the moment” situational context it was interesting to hear a perspective that was more preparative than reactive.

Fr. Kevin Oiland delivers his talk on spiritual warfare as Fr. Jeff Lewis (left) looks on.

Fr. Kevin was followed by our friend and neighbor, Dylan Perry. We had the honor of listening to his testimony. It is not my place to discuss specifics about what he talked about but it did center on how he has grown with evangelization and how we can too. I admired his courage to stand up in front of us all!

Dylan had the guts to stand up in front of us all and deliver his testimony.

With the content portion of the retreat starting to wind down, we broke into small groups for prayer. In these groups, we each took different roles in fostering a collaborative and holy session as one person would express their intentions, another person would pray for them, and the third person would call upon the Holy Spirit.

What a blessing it was for us to all get together for our retreat. I didn’t have a photo from our small group so you get a second photo of Sidney presenting in the morning 🙂

Once our prayer groups concluded, it would have been perfectly understandable for people to head home. However, we all wanted to extend the time we had together. While some stayed in the pavilion to chat, I joined a group that toured the premises of Clearwater Lodge. We took a short hike to a cross that was erected on top of an elevated rocky area that overlooked the lake. Much respect and admiration to Mother Kathryn Joseph for making the hike with us!

Members of our retreat group pose for a photo after completing a hike. Mother Kathryn Joseph was such a rockstar for keeping up with us! (photo courtesy of Fidela)

We also explored another rocky area with scenic lake views that required us crossing a shaky bridge. While admiring the water on the beautiful day, we took time to talk and laugh as a group.

A photo I took of some of us just having a good time after our second hike. What a blessed time this whole day was!

By 4 p.m. we re-convened in the pavilion and said a closing prayer. We promised to do the retreat again next year and commented on what a fulfilling day it had been. I am proud of Sidney for pursuing the retreat and grateful to Hailey for doing so much work to make it happen. I am also thankful to Fr. Jeff and Fr. Kevin for the time, prayers, and guidance they consistently devote to our group. The Lord is at work and I am blessed to be around people who are answering his call and challenging me to do the same. Thanks be to God for our Spokane Valley Young Adult Catholic Group! Don’t Blink.

Softball and Camaraderie

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The best thing I did this weekend was definitely play softball. On Saturday morning, Sidney and I seized the opportunity to hit the diamond with some of our favorite friends. But our weekend fun would not have happened without the vision and hard work of others.

Our pastor at St. Mary Parish in the Spokane Valley, Fr. Jeff Lewis, loosely challenged our Young Adult Catholic group to develop a recreational opportunity, such as softball, for parishioners and others to partake in. Brian and Hailey Eames, a dynamic couple in our group, took Fr. Jeff’s challenge and ran with it.

Members of our Young Adult Catholic group surround Bishop Thomas Daly (center, with hands in pockets). Also pictured is Fr. Jeff Lewis (back row, tallest person in photo). People in this picture who played on the softball team include Dylan, Fidela, Brian, Hailey, Sidney, and myself.

Brian and Hailey chatted with their neighbors who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They pitched them (no pun intended) the idea of parishioners from our church playing a softball game against members of their church. The planning took place in June and a date for the matchup was set for August.

Toward the second half of July, Brian and Hailey held practices for us. Man, how nice it was to pick up a glove and bat again. Our coaches were so organized and encouraging that it made the practices a blast and instilled confidence in us for gameday.

A look at one of our practices held on a ball field at St. Mary Parish in the Spokane Valley.

At about 9:15 a.m. on Saturday, Sid and I left the house and headed in the direction of the Mormon temple. Our Latter-day Saints brothers and sisters were gracious enough to host us on their fields. Our worthy opponents generated a lot of interest among their ward, attracting enough players to field three teams compared to our one Catholic team. Although outnumbered, the arrangement allowed us to play a tournament.

Sidney up at the plate. It was nice to play on a team with her.

Our team won our first game. The team that was victorious on the other field then came over to play us. In a competitive nail-biter, our Catholic squad hung on for an 8-7 victory and a tournament championship.

Yeah, it was cool to win, but the morning was more special for various other reasons. Fr. Lewis and Fr. Kevin Oiland, the other priest who founded our Young Adult Catholic group, were both present to cheer us on. Also, Sidney and I got to play on an organized team together! Not only that, but we batted back-to-back in the lineup and played right next to each other in the field (me at first, Sid at second). I even got to meet some St. Mary parishioners for the first time.

Another person in the crowd was my brother. He took this photo of me. When our team was at-bat, I would serve as the catcher.

But the absolute best part of the day was the fellowship with our new friends. Everyone on the Latter-day Saints teams were kind, supportive, and humble. Players from both sides played hard but there was a lot of humor and encouraging words mixed in. After the softball concluded, our two groups walked to the picnic area for a joint cookout. Does it get any better?

What a thrill it was to play softball with our Latter-day Saints brothers and sisters.

On a sunny Saturday morning, Catholics and Latter-day Saints prayed, competed, and ate together. As we enjoyed the cookout, one lady approached us and mentioned that cars driving down the road by the fields were literally stopping to watch the action taking place on the diamonds. Of course they wouldn’t know that two faith communities had voluntarily come together in such a meaningful way, but that would be cool if they did. In a day and age where division is so strong and toxic, the example that was set over the weekend was a powerful one.

After the softball was played, there was a cookout for players, families, and spectators.

Thanks to Brian and Hailey and their Latter-day Saints counterparts who worked so hard to make this thing work out. What a success! Don’t Blink.