Hello, My wife Christine and I reside in Hudson, N.H. after moving there from North Chelmsford in 2021. I made my first ACTS retreat out of the Chelmsford Catholic Collaborative (currently known as the Holy Rood Collaborative) in 2017. Since then I served as Secretary of the Pastoral Parish Council from 2018 thru 2020 and served as a team member 5 times on ACTS retreats (twice as Co-Director). I've given my witness talk during two of those retreats. I found doing a witness talk both therapeutic and inspiring for myself and others. And I've served on our Core Commitee since 2019. With the Covid pandemic shutting down retreats for most of 2020 and all of 2021, I along with a couple of others on Core were asked to stay on another year (or two). Christine also made her 1st ACTS retreat in 2017 and has served on two teams since then. We have also both made our Cursillo weekend retreats at Saint Basil's in Methuen.

The only thing that has slowed me down a little bit besides Covid is my health but I'm still here hopefully following the new path God has set for me. I suffered a stroke in September 2020. Returned to work in June 2021 parttime while eventually returning full time and being on ACTS teams twice since January 2022. I am a sinner but trying to do the best I can with whatever time I have left before it is my time to 'cross over'. I feel serving others on retreat is one way to do this.

I do not like to use the word ‘died’ or the phrase ‘pass away’ when someone is no longer physically here with us. To me these words seem like a ‘permanent’ end to our being.  I instead like using the phrase ‘cross over’.  For me, it signifies that life is not over and the word ‘cross’ symbolizes the actual cross Jesus used himself to ‘cross over’ into the next life.

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” – Corinthians 1:18

I have been trying to introduce ACTS to the pastor (Father Jeff) of Saint Francis of Assisi in Litchfield as we are registered there while still being registered at Saint John the Evangelist in North Chelmsford. He would like for me to perform pulpit talks during the summer for the womens ACTS retreat which will be organized by the Holy Rood Collaborative in September.

YBIC

• Ray Wagner (617-331-3852)