THE GOOD
NEWS
ARCHBISHOP BELTRAN
| JOBS BOX |
| OKLAHOMA CITY ARCHDIOCESE |
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| from October 8, 2006 Adopt-A-Family
Christmas Program Seeking ‘Santas’
‘It
transforms forever a person’s relationship with God.’ By Joe Elbow OKLAHOMA CITY — In November 1986, Carolyn Ehli suffered from physical and spiritual ailments that drove her to a point of desperation. Disoriented and debilitated by addictive medication prescribed for injuries suffered in a car wreck the previous year, the Moore resident attended an Evangelization and Healing Crusade led by Rev. Ralph DiOrio in Albuquerque, N.M. When those with health problems — addictions, eyesight, hearing, arthritis, etc. — were asked to stand, Mrs. Ehli, fervently clutching her crucifix, rose to her feet and felt herself overpowered by the Holy Spirit and surrounded by a glorious feeling of peaceful rest. With tears in her eyes, she asked Jesus to heal her and bring her closer to Him. The resultant recovery and deepening of faith left her with a strong desire to make God’s work through Father DiOrio accessible to all who suffered physical, emotional and spiritual pain. Carolyn and her husband, Ken, are chairing the committee bringing Father. DiOrio to the Cox Center on Oct. 15. Father DiOrio brings his ministry to the Cox Convention Center on Oct. 15 for The Eucharistic Healing Service from 1p.m. to 5 p.m. Archbishop Eusebius J. Beltran will be the principal celebrant for the opening Mass at 1 p.m. The event is free to the public. Doors will open at 11 a.m. Music guests include Joe and Harriet Fernandez from Singapore, The LIFE TEEN Choir from Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church in Edmond (under the direction of Sister. Barbara Joseph Foley) and the Little Flower Church Choir. Jesus proclaims his redemptive mission in John 10:10, saying, “I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” Freely called by the Son into communion with the Father, we stumble in our attempts to grasp this “new” life. We have impediments that lie heavily on our hearts and lead to anxiety, sin and the withering of our spirit. Father DiOrio’s healing ministry specifically addresses these emotional and spiritual afflictions, along with the physical disabilities that become our cross. “A healing accomplishes more,” he says, “than the repair of a mortal, human body or mind; it transforms forever a person’s relationship with God. No matter how strong that relationship was to begin with, no matter how faithful and close to God that healed person was, the experience of healing places that relationship on an entirely new plane. God becomes more real, more tangible.” Our late Pope John Paul II encouraged Father DiOrio, saying to him, “I bless your mission. Thank you, thank you for serving the church. Never, never compromise the Gospel of Christ.” Of his gift, Father DiOrio says, “Jesus, the Divine Physician, out of His compassion and love for us, knows our needs, hears our calls, and heals. I am simply a conduit through which He sends His healing love. Why or how God chose me, I do not know, but I sincerely thank Him and accept His will for me.” For Carolyn Ehli, that gift of physical healing did lead to a deepening of faith. Happy now and at ease with herself and with God, Mrs. Ehli recalls preparing for that first encounter with Fr. DiOrio. I prayed a forgiveness prayer, asking for forgiveness in the weeks before the service. I also began to forgive all those who had hurt me. The night before the service, I prayed, “Lord, I ask you to please heal me tomorrow at the service. My faith is so great that I believe you want to heal me.” On the day of the service, Mrs. Ehli was seated high up in the balcony section, far from Father DiOrio below. Yet, when the Holy Spirit descended upon her, it was as if the floodgates of my soul were opened and all the hurts, the pains and the sins seemed to pour out from her. “I felt as though I was being cleansed,” she says. “I received three physical healings from God on the day of the Father DiOrio service – recovery from a brain abnormality, freedom from the addiction to painkillers and complete restoration of my sight. Most importantly, I received transcendent spiritual healing – may it all be for His glory!” Father DiOrio is often asked why certain people must face the test of suffering. “I cannot tell you why or who God selects,” he says, “nor who or what illness He will or will not heal. I know however, that He does not base the decision on the amount of the person’s faith.” Donations that help to make this event at the Cox Center free to all are now being accepted online. Go to www.diorio2006inok.com and click on “Donations” to contribute using your credit card or Pay Pal account. Checks are also graciously received, payable to “Fr. DiOrio Fund” and sent in care of: Kathy Vance, 2101 NW 20th, Oklahoma City, OK 73107. The Eucharistic Healing Service is sponsored by the Father DiOrio Committee of Oklahoma City. There is no cost to attend – a free will offering will be taken at the Mass. For more information, contact Ken or Carolyn Ehli at (405) 793-7664 or Kate Cassil at (405) 799-6320. Visit us online at: www.diorio2006inok.com. For more information about Father DiOrio, visit his web site: www.fatherdiorio.org. |
