Precious Blood Companions
In Faith , a New Ministry is Born by Denise Murrow , Liberty , Missouri Companion
“ I say to you if you have faith the size of a mustard seed , you will say to this mountain , ‘ Move from here to there ,’ and it will move ; and nothing will be impossible to you ” ( Mathew 17:20 ).
How often have you had an idea in the back of your mind that began as a seed and grew into a vision ? Recently I had that experience . My small seemingly insignificant idea grew into a vision , which if it became a reality , could bring the Kansas City Province members and Companions together , and at the same time serve the poor and needy . It reminds me of a quote by Moderator General , Fr . William Nordenbrock , c . pp . s ., “ We are called to be ardent witnesses of love for God and neighbor as well . We must be courageous and be willing to reach out to those on the margins . We must be courageous in prayer , ministry , and our community life . We must be courageous in imagining our future as the Missionaries of the Precious Blood .” I wondered if I would have the courage to share my idea with the community so we could all have the opportunity to serve the marginalized together .
In October of 2016 I attended the Companions retreat given by Father Ben Berinti , c . pp . s . I was in awe of the passion and spiritual content of his presentations . In an article written by Rena Tulipana in the
December 2016 edition of the New Wine Press , she mentions the “ Four Irritatingly Beautiful Questions ” presented by Fr . Berinti . When he asked the question , “ Whom shall I send ?” a spark lit up my spirit and gave me the strength to follow my faith and focus on my vision . I asked myself , “ How can I help the Precious Blood community to unite in helping the needy ?” I felt like a school kid and wanted to raise my hand and say “ Please send me God !” I wanted to offer my 20 years of experience in social service working for several government agencies to organize our own ministry . We already had a successful Peace and Justice Ministry with Social Justice as an emphasis , advocating for the rights of those oppressed . I thought we could also have a social service component to spread the charity our community could offer to the needy . I shared my idea with my friend , Companion Kathy Keary , who was very supportive . She gave me the inspiration to share the idea with some of the other Companions at the retreat . Kathy ’ s encouragement helped me realize that continued on page 11
8 • The New Wine Press • March 2017