2025
Honduras
This was the first event for San Damiano Ministries, and providentially, it began on August 11th, the Feast of St. Clare of Assisi, who lived and died in the church of San Damiano. I took the JPII Healing Center’s “I AM Prayer Ministry Training” down to Honduras to form around 80 leaders throughout Central America: priests, deacons, seminarians, seminary formators, psychologists, missionaries, and lay leaders. This training teaches people how to pray for the healing of trauma and emotional wounds that cause difficulties in relationship with God and others, with a brief teaching on praying for physical healing. This was the first official event for San Damiano Ministries, and The Lord did not disappoint! There was a tremendous amount of healing happening throughout the week, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. The leaders were edified to see how the Lord wanted to work through them to minister to others. I have been following up with them virtually after the training, continuing to form them. These leaders will be a great blessing to the people of Central America, an area marred by so much trauma and suffering.
Testimonies
“This week encouraged me and confirmed that I am capable of hearing God's voice and dwelling with Him, that He can speak to me and show me how He wants to heal His people.”
“This week opened my eyes to the fact that it is not I who must heal people; that I only need to be willing to be an instrument of the Lord and that it is the Holy Spirit who works and heals.”
“A burning desire for eternity has been born in my heart!“
“During this training I felt God gave me a new heart. I also felt a great spiritual liberation.”
“For a long time I felt like a burden when I received help and felt guilty when I tried to help others. When Christopher prayed for me during the demonstration, Jesus healed me. I don’t feel like a burden to others anymore and can help others with more freedom.”
One of the priests said that, after this event, he felt as though his previous 20 years as a priest had been lived superficially, and that after this week he was going to change everything about the way he lives as a priest.
I could share for hours about how I witnessed God move throughout the week. The dozen or so physical healings God worked, in particular, make me smile with awe and gratitude, but if I could sum up the grace of the week in one word, it would be “Hope.” God breathed hope into the hearts of those who attended, and they left joyful, ready to share that hope.
Thanks be to God for an anointed first event!
Nicaragua
In October, the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal (CFRs) in Nicaragua asked me to lead their annual community retreat. A few of the bishops in Nicaragua have been ousted or imprisoned by the government, and as a result some of the Nicaraguan priests have given up as well. This has left the six CFR priests there with a tremendous ministerial load. All that said, it was a tremendous gift to be able to serve these priests who have been pouring themselves out so fully for the people of Nicaragua, and I’m grateful they found the retreat fruitful. I have tremendous respect for these priests. I won’t share testimonies since it was a deeply personal retreat, but a couple of them remarked that it was the best community retreat they have ever been on, and they invited me back to do it again next year. Please keep them and their ministry in prayer! They need the prayerful support.
Healing Sexual Brokenness Webinar
In October, I helped Bob Schuchts and Jake Khym lead a webinar, hosted by the John Paul II Healing Center. Over 200 people from 13 countries attended. It was geared toward therapists and spiritual directors, instructing them on how to minister to sexual brokenness. There is always so much that could be said about sexuality and trauma, but in this webinar, I focused on our psychosexual development and how God gave us a desire for perfect love and fulfillment. I spoke about the important role that grieving plays in liberating our hearts from the temptation to believe that our complete satisfaction can be found in this world, and how it opens our hearts to receive deep fulfillment in God.
Testimonies
“While Christopher was leading a healing prayer, the Lord was addressing my early attachment wounds. God gave me a lot of peace, safety, and comfort.”
“I was moved by Christopher’s talk and this new way of looking at sexual brokenness through the lens of grief. It is opening me to grieve my own unmet needs and accept the disappointments that normally occur in life.”
“It was the best workshop I have ever attended. Very informative and well lead.”
“Very good! Enlightening. I attended to learn and soak in more and ended up entering in and receiving some healing myself. Caught me off guard there. Glory to God! Thank you!!”
“The language used to describe the grieving process (which I was familiar with) brought greater clarity and simplicity for accompanying others. Also the language around grieving the loss of Eden was insightful and beautiful. It will influence how I accompany others, and myself.”
Holy Desire
Priest Retreat
In November, I went to Jacksonville, Florida, to help with another event put on by the John Paul II Healing Center. This is an annual retreat for priests that I have been helping with for a few years now. It is at a beautiful retreat center along the St. Johns River. Around 50 priests from 5 different countries attended this time. It is always so edifying to be back with the rest of the JPII Healing Center team, ministering alongside peers of this type of healing ministry. It was a beautiful retreat for the men, and these retreats continue to get better each year.
Testimonies
“I have been on many retreats in the past, but this is by far the best retreat I have ever been on. The movement of the Holy Spirit was palpable. I was very surprised by the richness of the Church's Tradition shining forth in something that is quite new to the way the Church approaches healing.”
“It was a beautiful retreat. The space given to be taken care of and feel loved as a priest was immense. In fact, it was so stark that I didn't realize how well the JPII Healing Center team did that until I got home and back into the grind. The content was amazing and allowed me to go into a depth of heart that I hadn't ever been. The team really knew what they were doing. One of the only retreats where I could have stayed longer!”
“Excellent experience that exceeded all expectations. The openness and wisdom of the team, the bonds with my brothers, especially at my table, the power and intimacy of prayer ministry sessions are all things I am eternally grateful for. This was the most consequential retreat I have had since high school (40+ years ago).”
