December 2017 and A Christmas Message from Fr. Larry

We are wrapping up a busy year at The Reason for Our Hope Foundation. In December Fr. Larry stays in Erie and focuses on his parish: St. Joseph Church/Bread of Life Community. He will pick up speaking engagements again come January. He will be heading to Chicago to speak on January 3 at the Focus Conference. Then he heads to California on Jan. 12-13 for the 20th Annual Marian Eucharistic Conference in Paso Robles. On Jan. 18th he heads to San Diego for the Legatus meeting. His first Parish Mission is February 5-8 at St. Theodore in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

The Hope House Retreat Center has been doing well. We hosted Confirmation Retreats, Private Priest Retreats, Days of Reflection, and the Erie Diocese Seminarians. Our January schedule is booked for every weekend but one with Confirmation Retreats and a college group weekend retreat. We are looking forward to more Confirmation and RCIA retreats as Lent approaches in February.

The Foundation family grew as Caitlin and her husband welcomed a little girl in August, Aumia Rose.

The 22:32 Men and 1:38 Women have changed things up this year. Both Conferences will be held in the Spring of 2018. The Men will have their conference on March 3 and the Women on April 21. Both Conferences will be held at Our Lady of Peace Parish in Erie, Pa. For more information visit www.2232men.com and www.138women.com. Registration is now open for both conferences.

As always, with Christmas approaching we would like to include an excerpt from Fr. Larry's Christmas message:

Blessed Advent and Christmas Season!  I just love this season, for it is a time of joy, giving, and family!  

First, this is a time of great joy.  Everyone seems to be a little more joyful this time of the year.  We get caught up into the Spirit of God who is always giving and lifting us up.  When we really get into the Spirit of Christmas, the True Spirit of Christmas, we realize that we are rejoicing in the God who would not leave us alone, but keeps reaching out to us - even when we do not want Him to - He loves us so much!  One of the secrets of joy is realizing just how much we are indeed loved by the God of the Universe.  This is what is to give us joy this season and all days – we are loved! So, getting into the Christmas Spirit is not just about going out and buying lots of presents - it is about receiving the greatest present – God’s love!

After we have received the gift of God’s love, this gift is one that cannot be kept - we need to give it away!  The more we give the gift of God’s love, the more we receive it.  The presents we buy are to be symbols of God’s love and ours.  So, when you are buying gifts this season, always keep in mind that these gifts are symbols.  Symbols of love!  So please, do not get lost in the buying; get lost in the loving!

Finally, this season is about family.  It is one of the few times every year that my whole family gets together and, though, sometimes this can get a little tense, what a great gift it is just to be together and to know that this is what is most important in our lives – our family.  These are the people who know us and love us despite everything else. This has been especially true for me as we have dealt with my mother’s sickness, and I thank all of you so much for your prayers for her healing! 

Fr. Stan Fortuna, a priest of the Friars of the Renewal, says the word family means -- F-A-M-I-L-Y:  “Forget - About - Me - I - Love - You!” Let us really try to live this during this special season.  This is not just your family at home, but everyone in your everyday life! We belong to each other, and we need to support and love one another and invite others to become part of our family! 

​So, I want to wish everyone a very Blessed Advent and Christmas Season.  

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! 

~Caitlin Rydberg, the Marketing/Operations Coordinator

June and July 2017

Happy summer everyone! The Reason for Our Hope Foundation has been quite busy since the last blog post. Fr. Larry conducted many Parish Missions and Conferences during Lent and Easter. His travels took him to Ottawa and Ajax, Ontario, Canada; Chicago, Illinois; Hamilton, New Jersey; and Texas City, Texas. He was home in Erie to celebrate Easter and Holy Week. Travel plans are slowing down for the summer. He is heading to Atlanta, Georgia for the Atlanta Eucharistic Conference on June 17. For more information on that or any upcoming events and for his radio show schedule check out our website at  http://thereasonforourhope.org/events/. 

This weekend is the 150th Anniversary for Fr. Larry's parish St. Joseph Church/Bread of Life Community. The celebrate kicks off on Friday with Evening Prayer. Saturday there will be Mass with the Bishop of Erie, followed by a dinner and dance for those who reserved seats. Then on Sunday there will be a Holy Hour of Mercy for the Parish. 

Speaking of the parish, Fr. Larry's homilies are now available to be sent to your email every Sunday. The link to subscribe is http://sermons.ambassadorapp.com/fr-larry-richards-of-st-joseph-churchbread-of-life-community/subscribe. Once you subscribe you will be notified when the homily is uploaded. From there you can listen to it and past homilies through Ambassador. It is free of charge. 

The 22 CD/DVD set "Knowing Jesus and His Church" is available for purchase and download. You can purchase them over the phone at 814-455-7364 or online as a set or individually at http://thereasonforourhope.org/product-category/cd/. These talks are a great teaching tool for those entering the church through RCIA, those who want to learn more about a certain topic, and for those who teach high school Religious Ed. Each talk is about an hour long.

The Hope House Retreat Center is constantly being updated! Currently we are working on the landscape, getting the porch ready for the summer, and adding some new features as well. This summer we are hosting priests for their private retreats. As well as already taking reservations for the Fall and Winter. This past spring was full of Confirmation retreats, end of year retreats for Religious Ed, and RCIA retreats.  

As always we ask for your prayers for the Foundation and Fr. Larry. We hope you enjoy your summer. 

~Caitlin Rydberg, Marketing/Operations Coordinator

March 2017

Lent starts today and we hope you have a wonderful and spiritual journey as we prepare for Easter. Lent is Fr. Larry's busiest time of the year, between being a Pastor in a parish and his speaking schedule. This month Father is heading to Green Bay, Wisconsin for a Men's Conference on March 4th. The following week March 6th-10th he is leading a Parish Mission at Assumption Church in Jacksonville, Florida. On March 11th he flies to Grand Rapids, Michigan for a Men's Conference. On March 14th he has a speaking engagement at St. Jude the Apostle Parish in Erie, Pennsylvania. March 17-19 his parish celebrates the Triduum of St. Joseph. March 20th he heads out to St. Clement in Metarie, Louisiana for a four day Parish Mission. 

On March 25th he will be the Master of Ceremonies at the 22:32 Men's Conference here in Erie, Pennsylvania. This year our speakers are Justin Fatica, Erie native and founder of Hard as Nails Ministries based out of Syracuse, NY. Captain Guy Gruters, a motivational speaker and POW in North Vietnam, who lives in Ohio. Our third speaker is Gary Zimak, author and founder of the Apostolate called "Following the Truth." All three speakers are internationally known and have a message for all ages. The day also includes Confession, Mass with Bishop Perisco of the Erie Diocese, time in front of the Blessed Sacrament, and a great opportunity for fellowship with like-minded men. The cost is $40 and that includes lunch. We have discounted prices for students and deals for Fathers bringing their high school sons. For more information or to register head to the 22:32 Men's website: www.2232men.com. 

The Hope House Retreat Center is hosting two retreats this month, an RCIA retreat for a local parish and an overnight retreat for teenage boys who attend a local Catholic High School. In April we are hosting our first Self-Directed Women's Retreat. It will be held the weekend of April 28-30. For more information or if you are interested in hearing about any upcoming retreats please give us a call at 814-455-7364. 

In a past blog we mentioned that Fr. Larry recorded a series of 22 talks called "Knowing Jesus and His Church." Be on the look out for it as we are expected to start selling the DVD's and CD's on our website and over the phone this month. Be sure to check our Facebook page for the exact selling date. We also have started a new project called "The Reason for My Hope." Every week we post a video of someone from around the country sharing their reason for their hope. We ask that it's 2 to 3 minutes long and it can be recorded on a phone, iPad, etc. If you would like to participate please email your video to cryan@thereasonforourhope.org. 

As always we ask during this time of Lent that you pray for Fr. Larry and the Foundation. Please know that we pray for you. 

-Caitlin Rydberg, Marketing/Operations Coordinator 

February 2017

Winter is in full blast here in Erie. At The Reason for Our Hope Foundation we have been just as busy as the snow outside. In January we completed editing the 22 CD/DVD Knowing Jesus and His Church series. They are in the production stage, so keep a look out for them on our website www.thereasonforourhope.org. We hope to be able to start selling them later this month. Also in January Father started his 2017 speaking schedule. His travels took him to a Men's Conference in Kalamazoo, Michigan and the Legatus Annual Conference in Naples, Florida.

His schedule in February is as follows: February 3 he travels to Cleveland, Ohio to talk to the seminarians at Borremeo Seminary. After that he is speaking at a Men's Conference in Owensboro, Kentucky on February 11. On February 18th he is heading to Toronto, Canada for a Men's Conference. Then on February 20-23 he is speaking at the first Parish Mission of the year in Wichita, Kansas. For more information on these events and more upcoming please head to our website.

The Hope House Retreat Center has had a busy winter with three retreats in January. We hosted the 1:38 Women's planning committee, a Confirmation class, and the seminarians for the Erie Diocese. This month we are hosting the Intercollegiate Gathering for the Erie Diocese. Remember to check out our website www.hopehouseretreatcenter.org or give a call at 814-455-7364 to book your retreat. 

If you follow us on Facebook you may notice that every week we are posting a new Hope of the Week Video. We are asking everyone to record their Hope of the Week. It doesn't need to be fancy or long, no more than two minutes. You can record it on your phone, tablet, or laptop and send it to us at cryan@thereasonforourhope.org. We post them every Tuesday!

We are taking registrations for our 22:32 Men's Conference on March 25 at the Warner Theatre in Erie. This year's speakers are:  Guy Gruters, Captain in the USAF, Captain for Eastern Air Lines, POW in North Vietman from 1967-1973 and an author; Justin Fatica, Erie native who founded Hard as Nails Ministry out of Syracuse, New York; and Gary Zimak, Founder of the Apostolate called "Following the Truth." These three speakers have something to offer for all ages. For more information or to register call us at 814-455-7364 or head to www.2232men.com.  

As always know of our prayers for you and we ask you for yours. 

God Bless. 

~Caitlin Rydberg, Marketing/Operation Coordinator