By Silvio Cuéllar, OSV News
It was a Sunday in the month of May, and Sergio Jiménez stood in front of a packed church at Blessed Sacrament Church, ready to make a brief invitation at the end of Mass.
Sergio, a member of the diocesan men’s retreat team “Cámbiame a Mi Señor” (“Change Me, Lord”), was there to invite the faithful to participate in a May 15-17 retreat at the Immaculate Conception Spiritual Renewal Center in Putnam, Connecticut.
With simplicity and conviction, Sergio invited other men to come to know Jesus more closely. He was sharing good news: the opportunity to grow as better Christians, fathers, sons and husbands.
His invitation reminded me of the words of Jesus before his ascension into heaven: “Peace be with you … go and make disciples of all nations” (Mt 28:19). That call is still alive today, and people like Sergio help make it a reality.
The “Change Me, Lord” retreats began nearly 25 years ago as an effort of the Hispanic Ministry Office of the Diocese of Providence to invite the faithful to take that first step closer to the faith. The retreat offers an opportunity to step away from the routines of daily life, hear real-life testimonies from men whose lives have been transformed and experience a personal encounter with Jesus.
In that encounter, many discover a profound peace and receive the abundant blessings God has prepared for those who listen to his call.
Thousands of people have participated in these retreats, both men and women. As a fruit of the experience, many have become actively involved in their parishes and now serve as leaders in various ministries, offering their talents in service to the Lord.
During his brief testimony, Sergio shared how, at one point in his life, he had drifted away from the ways of the Lord, without peace or joy in his heart. Through this retreat, he was able to personally experience God’s love and mercy, finding the peace he had been searching for.
After that experience, he decided to become involved with the organizing team, made up of men from different parishes who generously offer their time, talent and treasure in service.
“I wanted to share with others what I had received, so they too could experience the love and peace that God offers us when we open our hearts to him,” Sergio said.
I was blessed to be part of the original team for several years, and I personally experienced the blessings of this ministry when I invited my father to attend the retreat more than 20 years ago. That experience helped change the direction of his life, bringing him closer to God, and he later served in the church choir for many years.
Years later, before his health declined and the Lord called him home, he had the opportunity to accompany me once again on the men’s retreat. It is an experience I still carry in my heart and remain grateful to have shared with him.
For several months now, a committed group of 15 men on the team has been preparing every detail so participants can experience a blessed weekend capable of becoming a turning point in their lives.
All men over the age of 18 are welcome to participate and experience this beautiful kerygmatic retreat: a different kind of weekend to share with others, reflect on the direction of their lives and grow — with God’s help — into better fathers, sons and husbands.
This year, the “Change Me, Lord” retreats will celebrate their 25th anniversary. Members of both the men’s and women’s retreat teams are preparing a Mass with the bishop, followed by a dinner honoring many of those who have served throughout the years, including some who have already been called to the Lord’s house.
I also remember the words of a priest friend, Father Bob Beirne, who is now retired and, even at 92 years old, continues serving by celebrating Masses. On several occasions he told me, “Every time I visit a parish with a Hispanic community, I see so much life, so many families and so many opportunities to grow in faith.”
I recently participated in the advisory council meeting of the Hispanic Ministry Office of the Diocese of Providence, where I serve as an ex officio member and currently represent our diocesan solidarity community of Catholic Relief Services, a global solidarity ministry that helps the poorest people in the world.
The advisory committee is made up of representatives from every parish with Hispanic communities, as well as members of different apostolic movements and Marian groups.
After praying together, each representative shared the activities taking place in their community and received a calendar of diocesan events and retreats, helping to maintain coordination, mutual support and avoid duplication of efforts.
I heard testimonies of parishes with completely full Masses, ministries joyfully serving God, and communities proclaiming the Good News through retreats, prayer groups and various apostolic movements.
As Pope Leo XIV recently reminded us, the Church grows when it goes out to encounter others with hope and love. That evangelizing mission remains alive today in our Hispanic communities.
It was beautiful during that meeting to witness the fruits of the Fifth National Encuentro of Hispanic Ministry through a spirit of collaborative pastoral work. I saw a living Church, serving with great dedication to fulfill Jesus’ call before his ascension into heaven: “Go and make disciples of all nations.”
Silvio Cuéllar is a writer, liturgical music composer and journalist. He was coordinator of the Hispanic ministry office and editor of the newspaper El Católico de Rhode Island, the newspaper of the Diocese of Providence.
