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