St. Innocent Church, Olmsted Falls, OH hosts retreat with Fr. Barnabas Powell
OLMSTED FALLS, OH [MW Diocese Communications] — The parish of Saint Innocent Church, Olmsted Falls, OH, welcomed Father Barnabas Powell for a retreat on Friday and Saturday, September 15-16, 2017.
Father Barnabas is the priest of Saints Raphael, Nicholas and Irene Greek Orthodox Church, Cumming, GA. He is a well-known, dynamic speaker and preacher, author of the “Journey to Fullness” video series, and host of the “Faith Encouraged” podcast on Ancient Faith Radio.
“It was such a blessing to have Father Barnabas to our parish this past weekend,” said Father Alessandro Margheritino, Rector of Saint Innocent Church. “The retreat opened on Friday with the first talk, ‘A Former Pentecostal’s Journey to Orthodoxy,’ and was followed by two more sessions on Saturday — ‘Orthodox on Purpose’ and ‘Sharing Our Faith: An Opportunity We Can’t Miss.’ About 70 people from Saint Innocent’s and neighboring parishes attended the retreat, and many of the attendees indicated how Father Barnabas was both inspiring and thought-provoking.”
Much of the retreat focused on what it means to be an Orthodox Christian – specifically in America – and why and how we cannot miss the opportunity to share our faith with as many people as possible.
“Father Barnabas reminded us that we Orthodox Christians have been given the precious gift of the Orthodox faith,” Father Alessandro added. “People around us are spiritually hungry for the Truth, and it is neither ethical nor moral to withhold food from them.”
Father Alessandro noted that the idea of inviting Father Barnabas also came from the adult video series he produced — a series that Father Alessandro and his parish have been using for the last few months.
“Our parish has offered the ‘Journey to Fullness’ video series on Thursday nights, and it has been very well received,” Father Alessandro said. “After watching together each of the segments, we have had stimulating and constructive discussions on the topics presented. Using video technology has definitely made this course appealing and engaging for many people.”
“Journey to Fullness” is comprised of sixteen 20-minute video sessions designed to engage people who want to learn more about the Orthodox Faith.
“Although this very well-made video series was initially designed for enquirers, most of the attendees are cradle Orthodox,” said Father Alessandro. “Several of our parishioners have remarked how beneficial they have found the short videos and the discussions. Particularly, our ‘cradle Orthodox’ parishioners have mentioned that they wished they had such an opportunity when they were growing up.”
Father Alessandro encourages others to find out more about “Journey to Fullness.”
“We at Saint Innocent’s have found the ‘Journey to Fullness’ video series extremely beneficial, and I would definitely encourage other parishes to consider using it,” Father Alessandro said.
