By Celine Klosterman
When five Jesuits bring a mission band to Iowa City next weekend, their priority won’t be offering a concert.
Instead, the two priests and three scholastics (seminarians) will focus on being instruments of faith.
The group, including Davenport Diocese native Michael Rossmann, will offer a day-and-a-half of spiritual renewal for young adults at the Newman Catholic Student Center in Iowa City. Slated for June 25-26, the event will include presentations from Jesuits, an introduction to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, insights on how Catholics’ hearts can lead them to Jesus, eucharistic adoration and Mass — as well as some music.
“I hope that this can be a personally and spiritually nourishing weekend for young adults whereby they can more easily connect their faith with their daily life,” Rossmann said. A 2003 graduate of Regina Catholic Education Center in Iowa City, he is currently a scholastic at Loyola University Chicago. “We will cover things like discernment of decisions and methods of prayer that people can integrate into their busy lives. Moreover, those attending will hopefully get to know others in a similar stage of life in their area.”
The event is organized by the Apostleship of Prayer, a Jesuit association that works to “help Christians live out their desire to serve God with their whole lives and their whole selves.” The mission band is leading the renewals at several locations in the Midwest this summer, echoing the traveling Jesuit “mission bands” that visited parishes decades and centuries ago for days at a time to offer a retreat.
Rossmann, who said he enjoys speaking and working to “make our faith accessible,” was invited to join the group leading the upcoming event. The Spiritual Exercises that his team will explain is a method of prayer designed to advance knowledge and love of Jesus and help people understand how to respond with their lives.
Friday evening, the retreat will feature two presentations with music interludes, a candlelit eucharistic adoration service, a coffeehouse social and live music. Saturday will include more presentations, time for quiet prayer and optional discussions, lunch and an interactive session.
Suggested donation for the event is $15. For more information and to register, visit www.apostleshipofprayer.org/missionbandinfo.html.
