James and Aubrielle Oliver display a road sign “You Matter” during a Spiritual Renewal Day for persons with disabilities Feb. 22 at Our Lady of Victory Parish in Davenport.
By Barb Arland-Fye
The Catholic Messenger
DAVENPORT — Volunteer Lynn Olds sprang from her seat to form a conga line as Voices of Victory performed “When the Saints Go Marching In” during the Spiritual Renewal Day for persons with disabilities. She grabbed the hand of a participant and soon other participants and volunteers joined the conga line, dancing to the beat of the catchy music inside the hall at Our Lady of Victory Parish Feb. 22.
“We’ve been doing this a long time,” said Chris Olds, who directs Voices of Victory, which comes together every year for the spiritual renewal gig. “I think it’s truly the Holy Spirit watching over us and giving us the energy,” he told participants after introducing them to the other band members, deacon candidate Vern Vondera and Mark McGraw.
Celebrating the event’s 20th anniversary, director Karen Kilburg chose the first year’s theme “STOP for God” as this year’s theme, using the visual image of a traffic light to emphasize the message. Each letter in STOP spelled out advice: Slow down and make time for God, Take a deep breath, Offer to help someone, and Pray. Short, inspirational talks, along with crafts, prayer, music and fellowship conveyed the message in a delightful way to the gathering.
Karen’s journey to this year’s renewal day required a personal commitment to STOP for God as her mother, a longtime renewal day volunteer, experienced an emergency health crisis. “Life is not about adding more things but pausing to think about what’s important,” Karen said, having spent much of the previous day in Bellevue with other family members to address her mom’s health crisis. God “wants us to slow down and spend time talking and praying to him. God wants us to go and spread love to others.”
Two of Karen’s sisters, Julie Kilburg and Brenda Fox, and Brenda’s daughter, Christina Fox, were among the many volunteers this year. Christina, now 26 and working as a preschool teacher in Illinois, has been volunteering at the event since she was 6 years old. “It’s a day when you can feel the love of God and forget about everything else … and see the beauty of God in each person. We’re enjoying our time together and growing closer to God.”
Colorful traffic signs served as centerpieces at each table, where participants huddled to create a name for their small group. Their eclectic choices: “Go with Jesus,” “Detour Lead Us Here,” “Goofballs for God,” “Pink Ladies,” “The Magnificent Nine,” and “No Limit to God’s Grace.”
Karen’s longtime friend, Jeff Rausch, gave a talk during the first renewal and reprised that role, with a family affair twist this year. As his daughter, Korissa Oliver shared the family’s talk, her children, James and Aubrielle drove around the room in a mini-gator, stopping at each table to “obey” the traffic sign. Korissa had a message for each sign, such as, “Proceed with Kindness: Crosswalk (caution).” “Pick a family member or roommate. How do you treat them? Are you nice to them? How do we show them that we have Jesus in our heart? ” Korissa asked.
“Be Jesus to each person in your house by your actions and your kind words.”
Korissa said her family has been involved in retreats for people with disabilities since she was a child, beginning in the Dubuque area. “It’s a part of our nature,” she said. “I want my kids involved.” Her dad said he leaves every retreat feeling uplifted. “It kind of makes you forget about all of the issues going on in the world. So many people have become friends over the years… It’s nice to have something to pass on (to the next generation).”
Retreatants participate in a conga line during a Spiritual Renewal Day for persons with disabilities Feb. 22 at Our Lady of Victory Parish in Davenport.
At each table, participants shared ways to stop and take time to pray to God. Participant Paige Hawbaker suggested, “Stopping when you see an ambulance and saying a prayer.” Connie Welk, a first-time volunteer at renewal day, suggested, “When relaxing at night, think about the homeless on the streets and pray for them.” She said she lost her husband a couple of years ago and that was hard. “It helps me a lot to be helping people.”
Andrew Riesberg, a junior at Assumption High School in Davenport, has volunteered at renewal day for several years, he said. “I need service hours. This is one of the best ways I can do it, helping other people,” he said. “It’s fun!”
Karen views the renewal day as a blessing. “I believe everybody deserves a special day with God and that’s why I started this renewal day 20 years ago.”
