On May 4, almost 40 Ursulines of Prelate gathered for a

day of reflection. Fr. Doug Jeffrey, omi, offered input on the "Joy of the Gospel", basing the day on the Apostolic Exhortation of the same name by Pope Francis.

Fr. Doug focused on three distinct elements:

Encounter with God

Encounter with Other People

Encounter with Nature

Fr. Doug told the group that our joy needs to come from these three encounters and that they need to lead us to love for one another. There was lots of time for personal reflection and though the input seemed plain and simple, it did not remain so when one entered into prayer with the offered passages and questions.

The day ended with a prayer ritual in which every person picked a stone to hold while Fr. Doug talked about how stones could be used for good or for evil and how we can encounter God as our rock. In small groups, the stones were passed from one sister to the next and imbued with courage for its owner.

It was a good day which we hope will continue to bear fruit into the future.