H.O.P.E.: A Spiritual Journey Toward Wholeness and Community
This transformative four-week spiritual experience is grounded in the acronym HOPE: Healing, Oneness, Presence, and Embodiment. Each week invites participants to explore their inner selves, deepen their connection with the Divine, and extend healing and renewal to the world around them.
Dates & Time of the Program:
Monday Nights starting April 28
6:00 - 7:30 P.M.
Lead by:
This program will be co-lead by our own Rev. Mary Bea Sullivan and Rev. Dr. Jose Fernandez. What a wonderful duo to lead us in this time.
Fee:
The cost of this series is $65, which covers all four weeks.
Meeting Information:
Each session will be offered at The Threshold Center which is housed in the Chapel of Saint John's, located at 3794 Crosshaven Drive, Vestavia AL 35223
Details:
Week 1: Healing – Through deep spiritual introspection, recognize and begin to heal your inner brokenness and its connection to the world.
Week 2: Oneness – Cultivate an awareness of the divine presence that merges with your human essence, leading to a transformative unity with the sacred. This oneness invites deep healing and connection that radiates into your relationships and surroundings.
Week 3: Presence – Incorporate practices of mindfulness, meditation, and prayer to deepen your ability to dwell fully in the present moment, becoming aware of the Divine within, besides, and among you. Presence invites stillness and attentiveness to the sacred in everyday life.
Week 4: Embodiment – Live out your transformation by extending love and service to the world, embodying the call to “go forth into the world to love and serve.”
Through guided reflections, spiritual practices, and shared insights, this program offers a sacred space to experience healing, connection, and transformation. Let us journey together through HOPE—toward wholeness, presence, and renewal for ourselves and our communities.
Rev. Dr. Jose Fernandez, Program Co-Facilitator
The Rev. José R. Fernández, PhD, began his ministry as the Rector of Grace Episcopal Church in March 2023. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Father José overcame the challenges of a disadvantaged background through education. He earned a BS in Biology from the University of Puerto Rico, an MA in Secondary Science Education from Columbia University, and a PhD in Biobehavioral Health from Penn State University. He pursued a successful academic career that combined research and education in the field of genetics of obesity and nutrition, serving as a faculty member and administrator in the Department of Nutrition Sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. In 2017, after a decade as a mentor for the Education for Ministry (EfM) program, he felt a calling to explore ordained ministry. This led to seminary training at the Alabama Integrative Ministry School for bi-vocational priesthood, culminating in his ordination as an Episcopal priest in December 2021.
