Worship and Evangelization Outreach / Cheryl McSweeney

With new changes, Fatima is still a place to be with God

“The leaves are getting ready to show us how beautiful ‘letting go’ is.”—Anonymous

Fall is my favorite season. The colors of the leaves, the falling temperatures, the activities and the big comfy sweatshirts—they all seem to recharge me. It’s really a bit surprising since I’m someone who struggles with change. I like things in my life to stay the same.

Consistency, ritual and status quo are what I enjoy the most. Then autumn comes around, and I’m reminded of the beauty of change. The importance of letting go of “what always has been” in order for God to show me the gift of “what can be” is overwhelming at times.

Change can be challenging to many, including myself. I have to face my fears of walking into the unknown. Trusting completely in the plan that God has laid before me is always easier said than done.

Working at Our Lady of Fatima Retreat House in Indianapolis is a blessing all year, but being able to drive up that long driveway in the fall—with a statue of Mary greeting me on the left, the chapel on the right and almost 13 acres of beautiful fall foliage—reminds me again that the seasons are changing. It is simply grace. It’s not uncommon for me to sit in my car for a few extra minutes upon arrival, taking time to catch my breath after being overwhelmed with the beauty, and to thank God for the day.

Entering my day, reminded of the changes around me, is such a gift. I see the beauty in the leaves, and I am challenged to make the changes that I need to make. I check my ego at the door and move forward to do the work that God calls me to do—his work, with my hands.

If you haven’t been to Fatima in a while, you will notice changes when you return. Our wooded trails have been cleaned up and re-opened. We have a beautiful new Holy Family shrine and updated Stations of the Cross, thanks to two different Eagle Scout projects.

Our lobby has been repainted, and all the doors in the lobby and in the chapel have been replaced with gorgeous wooden doors.

All of the mattresses and bedding are brand new in each bedroom. So are all of the recliners throughout the building.

Our lower level has been completely repainted and updated with new furniture, and all new ceiling tiles. The chapel, main level conference room and lower level conference room all have a new sound system, ceiling mounted projectors and screens that lower with the push of a button.

It’s been a season of beautiful change inside Fatima, too!

While we’ve made much needed updates to our physical building, you will find that the purpose of Fatima has not changed at all. We are still a place to be with God.

You may experience it through a day of silence, a weekend retreat, a day of reflection, a walk through the woods, praying on the labyrinth or simply spending time in the chapel. You can still feel the presence of God, and he is still calling your name.

That will never change.
 

(Cheryl McSweeney is program manager at Our Lady of Fatima Retreat House in Indianapolis.) †