Gathering of Friends
A Vatican II catholic community
serving the Hampton Roads area in Southeastern Virginia
An Intentional Eucharistic Community (IEC)
Learn More about GoF - click here
Come travel your Spiritual Journey with the Gathering of Friends and our Community Liturgies.
Ideas in Passing from Sr. Joan Chittister - click here.
Info on Richard Rohr’s School on Action and Contemplation can be found here.
Richard Rohr’s daily meditation - Facebook page
Gathering of Friends 2011 Annual Report is posted here.
FutureChurch - Pre-Synod on the Family Blog is posted here & here
Reflections to Share with Good Friends Who Have Hope
by Fr. Bob French on the 50th Anniversary of his Ordination
May 2013
Remembering Sister June
1933 - 2014
Catholic Tipping Point Tour with Fr. Tony Flannery - More info here
Learn more about Intentional Eucharistic Communities (IEC) and the
IEC-2015 Conference - Living the Gospel; Collective Voices
June 26-28, 2015 St. Paul MN
The Meaning of the Symbolism of the Sankofa bird.
(2011 5th Annual GoF Retreat - Suffolk)
The concept of Sankofa is derived from King Adinkera of the Akan people of West Afrika. Sankofa is expressed in the Akan language as "se wo were fin a wosan kofa a yenki." Literally translated it means "it is not taboo to go back and fetch what you forgot".
"Sankofa" teaches us that we must go back to our roots in order to move forward. That is, we should reach back and gather the best of what our past has to teach us, so that we can achieve our full potential as we move forward. Whatever we have lost, forgotten, forgone or been stripped of, can be reclaimed, revived, preserved and perpetuated.
Visually and symbolically "Sankofa" is expressed as a mythic bird that flies forward while looking backward with an egg (symbolizing the future) in its mouth.
The Light of Christ (the flame)
(2010 4th Annual GoF Retreat - Virginia Beach)
All are offered this light but are we ready
to accept it?
Are we willing to take on the awesome responsibility of all that Christ wants of us? With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can.
So we have taken the light - now what do we do with it?
Banners for the Gathering of Friends
Designed and lovingly made by Irene Terry
Emmaus banner - Recognizing Him in the breaking of the bread.
(2011 5th Annual GoF Retreat - Suffolk)
The spiral goes to and from Emmaus.
Different languages of the Emmaus story - we all react different in how we recognize Him. Our different cultures affect how we respond when we recognize him.
The spiral (labyrinth) - Sometimes we
need to go back and see Him again...then we return to the world refreshed, ready to share our Gospel stories.
Speaker Videos!
From the
Second Annual Bishop Walter F. Sullivan Chair in Catholic Studies Symposium (BWFSCCSS):
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Virginia Commonwealth University
THE PHENOMENON OF VATICAN COUNCIL II:
Where it came from, what happened at the Council, what has happened since
DR. ANTHONY PADOVANO, Author, Theologian, and Worldwide Lecturer
Dr. Anthony Padovano was ordained a priest in 1960, and later became first president of CORPUS, a reform movement in the Catholic Church. He is a Founding member and distinguished professor of literature and philosophy at Ramapo College of New Jersey. He has authored 29 books and three plays. Since 1986 he has served as pastor of The Inclusive Community where Catholics and Protestants worship together.
NOURISHING TODAY’S FAITH:
Vatican II and the Roots of Catholic Social Teaching
SR. SIMONE CAMPBELL, SSS, Social Activist
Sister Simone Campbell has served as the Executive Director of NETWORK, a National Catholic Social Justice Lobby, since 2004. She has extensive experience in public policy and advocacy for systemic change. In Washington, she lobbies on issues of peace‐building, immigration reform, healthcare and economic justice. Around the country, she is a noted speaker and educator on these public policy issues.
