August 15, 2023
Dear Friends of Chestnut Hill,
Greetings to all our friends, as we approach the start of another school year.
The Sebago Leadership Camp had another successful run at Camp Moses in western Massachusetts. Seventy boys and twenty-three high school students, working as counselors, attended the Camp, under the supervision of Raymond Le Grand, Andy O’Meara and Tom Keefe. The boys enjoyed practical classes in Building Medieval Castles and Performing Drama Scenes, as well as playing lots of sports and night games. Fr. John Grieco said Mass each day.
The Edge Seminar program begins its thirteenth year in September. About forty young men come each month to hear about facing the challenges of college, professional careers and adult life with a mature, Christian spirit. We invite men to come either to share their professional work experiences or to help us mentor the young men who attend. The boys meet with their mentors once a month to review what they hear on an Edge Day and to make resolutions for their everyday life. Go to chestnuthillcenter.org for more information and to register.
Nick Wells, Erick Diaz, and Tony Janeiro are revitalizing Frontiers, our father and son club for another year. Frontiers is for boys up to sixth grade and their dads and meets at Sparhawk Academy, in Millis. Horizons is now a club for boys in sixth and seventh grades and will also meet at Sparhawk on Friday afternoons twice a month. Boys in Horizons and their dads will come to Chestnut Hill once a month. Please visit our website soon for more details.
Men in the “young professional” age range meet both at Chestnut Hill and at Sparhawk for activities a few times a month. The men who are fathers participate in discussions on raising children. Both groups have talks on spiritual and cultural topics. Tom Keefe, Sean Casey and Joe Casey can provide more information.
There is one weekend retreat left at Arnold Hall, September 7–10. Consider it if you have not made one this year.
Last week, Pope Francis issued a moto propio regarding the nature of personal prelatures in the Church. This follows a statement a year ago on the Church’s desire that Opus Dei consider making some changes in its statutes to safeguard its charism, that of living and communicating the message of seeking holiness in everyday life. The work of revising the statutes has been ongoing. Two days ago, Opus Dei’s Prelate, Msgr. Fernando Ocariz wrote a letter, available on the Opus Dei website, opusdei.org. He reiterated his request for prayers for the work of revising the statutes and added, “I would like that each day, with God’s grace, the realization of being children of the Church, brothers and sisters of a united family who seek to embody in their lives the message received by St. Josemaria, may be strengthened in us. Let us be apostles who magnanimously sow understanding and charity, with the joy that comes from encountering our Lord.”
Thank you for your prayers and financial support,
Joe Billmeier