Indiana author to give retreat
on the power of the cross

By Sean Gallagher

Michael Dubruiel, an author and editor who lives in Fort Wayne, Ind., will lead a retreat titled “The Power of the Cross” on Feb. 11-13 at Our Lady of Fatima Retreat House in Indianapolis.

The author of a new book with the same title, Dubruiel recently discussed his hopes for the retreat.

“Every retreat is an opportunity for people to grow closer to God,” he said. “I hope that those making a retreat will find time on the weekend to see how God has been working in their lives up until now, and that this insight will open them to placing their trust and hope in God in the way that Jesus modeled for us both in the garden of Gethsemane and on the cross.”

The retreat is scheduled at the start of the season of Lent, a time when Catholics are especially invited by the Church to reflect upon Christ’s Passion and death.

In his book, Dubruiel helps readers reflect on the power that the cross can have in their lives. Although he noted it can be useful at any time of the year, the book is especially formatted to serve as a devotional tool during Lent.

In large part, he helps readers consider the cross in their lives by showing how it has had an impact on the lives of average people.

“In The Power of the Cross , I talk about a young woman I met in a nursing home in Florida some twenty years ago,” Dubruiel said. “She was dying of cancer. The first time I met her, she was clutching a large crucifix.

“Her life had not gone according to her plans,” he said, “but she found in Jesus’ cross a way—that is open to all of us—that in her suffering filled her with unspeakable joy. She taught me a lesson that is as old as Christianity, but sadly many people are missing out on.”

Both the retreat and book will help people take the time to consider the power of the cross in their lives, something that Dubruiel thinks can have a great impact upon individual lives, the Church and the world.

“First and foremost, people would be less judgmental, both in terms of others and themselves,” he said. “We, as members of the Church, would be less concerned about scandal and more concerned about doing what is right, no matter what we might suffer as a result.

“The world would be filled with Mother Teresas and Saint Francises, both exemplary lovers of the cross,” Dubruiel said. “In fact, the ‘real’ prayer of Saint Francis is one that those who pray the Stations of the Cross are familiar with—‘We adore thee O Christ and we praise you, who by thy Holy Cross has redeemed the world.’ ”

(For more information on the retreat or to register, call Our Lady of Fatima Retreat House at 317-545-7681.) †