Conference promotes family healing, Divine Mercy

July 29, 2019 at 12:37 p.m.
Conference promotes family healing, Divine Mercy
Conference promotes family healing, Divine Mercy


By Dubravka Cortese | Correspondent

Healing the family today requires revisiting the sins of our ancestors and praying for generational healing. That was the topic of the “Healing Your Family Tree and Divine Mercy” conference held in St. John Neumann Parish, Mount Laurel, Feb. 28.

The healing conference was led by Father Bill Halbing, a priest of the Archdiocese of Newark. According to Maria Arvonio, coordinator of the healing conference, about 300 people participated in the all-day event, including parishioners and visitors from all across New Jersey – even a Pakistani community from northeast Philadelphia.

“I have to admit, we were a bit concerned if we would have enough room to host the event,” said Arvonio, “knowing that Father Bill Halbing was presenting and that he is well known has a gifted and knowledgeable speaker. God uses him in the areas of healing and teaching throughout the world. So we basically just kept recalling Scripture and how God multiplied what his apostles … so He did the same for us.”

Attendees were able to participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament throughout the day. Also available was a prayer and meditation room with a life-size image of The Divine Mercy, donated by a parishioner, as well as a traveling statue of the Blessed Mother.

The conference focused on the importance of the family unit and how forgiving the sins of living and deceased family members can help break the curse of repeated negative behaviors in the family line.

“Our families are a mess,” said Father Halbing. “There are no Godly values. We have to really believe that through prayer and fasting God is going to restore them.” Attending Mass as a family is just the beginning, Father Halbing said. “We have to change inside. It starts with us.”

The key, Father Halbing said, is that people need to stop blaming themselves. He reminded participants that God is a God of second chances, and third chances, and so on.

“Stop beating yourself up!” he stressed. “…Stop saying, ‘Poor me.’ When you understand how healed you can be, you can start being a healer. Pray, or be prayed upon.”

Conference attendees completed a four generational genogram, identifying patterns of negative behavior or other issues in the family line. A generational healing Mass was celebrated later in the day by Father Halbing, assisted by parish deacons Jim Cattanea and Joe Barbara, and prayers were offered for past and present family members. Father Halbing cited Exodus 20 which states that the sins of the parents will be passed down four generations. He stressed the need to pray over the generations for healing. “You will start to see results, maybe even today,” he said.

 “I believe Jesus can heal us,” Father Halbing said, adding that depression occurs when we allow Satan to “jump inside our weaknesses. What did you believe and accept to let the spirit jump inside you? You get depressed when you believe that the situation on the outside is stronger than you on the inside, stronger than God. You see the situation, and you think that’s the way it is. You think, ‘This is who I am, the way life is going to be. I have no hope.’

“You have to believe that God has a plan for you,” Father Halbing stressed. “You are worth it. You will get out of depression.”

Father Halbing also said the role of the father in the family must be strengthened. “The father of the family needs to take charge and be a man of prayer. He needs to lead the family in faith and prayer.” He added that the family must pray together against any diseases that plague them.

The conference was part of St. John Neumann Parish’s tradition, “Days of Recollection,” which has been held there for nearly 20 years, according to Arvonio. The Day of Recollection is usually held during Lent to help participants prepare for Easter and Divine Mercy Sunday. The parish’s Altar and Rosary Society was instrumental in coordinating most of the retreats across the years. Last year the Divine Mercy Cenacle took over coordination of the event, with the Society still present to assist, and with the entire parish supporting the effort.

“It starts with the Holy Spirit and prayer, discerning the topic and presenter,” Arvonio said, who offered her appreciation for parish administrator Father Phillip C. Pfleger and the numerous volunteers from the parish and youth group, who helped make the event possible.

“Every year seems to exceed the previous one, all by God’s Grace,” she said. “I pray God will bless us even more next year,” Arvonio continued. “… God has been so good to nourish us with His Word, His Body and Precious Blood through celebration of Holy Mass and the Sacrament of Confession, which will always be a major part of these retreats.”

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By Dubravka Cortese | Correspondent

Healing the family today requires revisiting the sins of our ancestors and praying for generational healing. That was the topic of the “Healing Your Family Tree and Divine Mercy” conference held in St. John Neumann Parish, Mount Laurel, Feb. 28.

The healing conference was led by Father Bill Halbing, a priest of the Archdiocese of Newark. According to Maria Arvonio, coordinator of the healing conference, about 300 people participated in the all-day event, including parishioners and visitors from all across New Jersey – even a Pakistani community from northeast Philadelphia.

“I have to admit, we were a bit concerned if we would have enough room to host the event,” said Arvonio, “knowing that Father Bill Halbing was presenting and that he is well known has a gifted and knowledgeable speaker. God uses him in the areas of healing and teaching throughout the world. So we basically just kept recalling Scripture and how God multiplied what his apostles … so He did the same for us.”

Attendees were able to participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament throughout the day. Also available was a prayer and meditation room with a life-size image of The Divine Mercy, donated by a parishioner, as well as a traveling statue of the Blessed Mother.

The conference focused on the importance of the family unit and how forgiving the sins of living and deceased family members can help break the curse of repeated negative behaviors in the family line.

“Our families are a mess,” said Father Halbing. “There are no Godly values. We have to really believe that through prayer and fasting God is going to restore them.” Attending Mass as a family is just the beginning, Father Halbing said. “We have to change inside. It starts with us.”

The key, Father Halbing said, is that people need to stop blaming themselves. He reminded participants that God is a God of second chances, and third chances, and so on.

“Stop beating yourself up!” he stressed. “…Stop saying, ‘Poor me.’ When you understand how healed you can be, you can start being a healer. Pray, or be prayed upon.”

Conference attendees completed a four generational genogram, identifying patterns of negative behavior or other issues in the family line. A generational healing Mass was celebrated later in the day by Father Halbing, assisted by parish deacons Jim Cattanea and Joe Barbara, and prayers were offered for past and present family members. Father Halbing cited Exodus 20 which states that the sins of the parents will be passed down four generations. He stressed the need to pray over the generations for healing. “You will start to see results, maybe even today,” he said.

 “I believe Jesus can heal us,” Father Halbing said, adding that depression occurs when we allow Satan to “jump inside our weaknesses. What did you believe and accept to let the spirit jump inside you? You get depressed when you believe that the situation on the outside is stronger than you on the inside, stronger than God. You see the situation, and you think that’s the way it is. You think, ‘This is who I am, the way life is going to be. I have no hope.’

“You have to believe that God has a plan for you,” Father Halbing stressed. “You are worth it. You will get out of depression.”

Father Halbing also said the role of the father in the family must be strengthened. “The father of the family needs to take charge and be a man of prayer. He needs to lead the family in faith and prayer.” He added that the family must pray together against any diseases that plague them.

The conference was part of St. John Neumann Parish’s tradition, “Days of Recollection,” which has been held there for nearly 20 years, according to Arvonio. The Day of Recollection is usually held during Lent to help participants prepare for Easter and Divine Mercy Sunday. The parish’s Altar and Rosary Society was instrumental in coordinating most of the retreats across the years. Last year the Divine Mercy Cenacle took over coordination of the event, with the Society still present to assist, and with the entire parish supporting the effort.

“It starts with the Holy Spirit and prayer, discerning the topic and presenter,” Arvonio said, who offered her appreciation for parish administrator Father Phillip C. Pfleger and the numerous volunteers from the parish and youth group, who helped make the event possible.

“Every year seems to exceed the previous one, all by God’s Grace,” she said. “I pray God will bless us even more next year,” Arvonio continued. “… God has been so good to nourish us with His Word, His Body and Precious Blood through celebration of Holy Mass and the Sacrament of Confession, which will always be a major part of these retreats.”

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