Dear friends,

I (Claire) was speaking at a local women’s retreat earlier this month, and had just finished my talk on the theme of hope.  In the talk, I drew heavily from the writings of Venerable Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan, the Vietnamese Cardinal who was imprisoned by the communists for thirteen years, nine of those in solitary confinement.  I spoke about his heroic efforts to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in his country, a crisis that included the tragic attempts of  hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese who risked–and often lost–their lives escaping the country as “boat people.” 

As I was about to leave the stage, the host, Anne, stopped me.  “Claire, please stay here,” she said in tears. “Mindy?  Will you come forward?” 

Mindy, a member of the parish who had helped organize the retreat, approached the podium.  She was also crying.

What did I say? I wondered. 

Anne took the microphone.  “Claire,” she said.  “You didn’t know this, but I asked Mindy to give her testimony today and she declined.” She turned to Mindy. “What do you say? I think you have the perfect intro to your story.” 

Mindy nodded, wiped away her tears, and accepted the mic. She turned to the women in attendance. “I was a boat person,” she said quietly. 

You could have heard a pin drop in that room.

“When I was ten years old, I left Vietnam with an uncle I didn’t know and we made our way through the forest of Cambodia.  We crossed the open sea in a small boat and somehow made it to a refugee camp.  We were in camps for three years.  Eventually, I was reunited with my family and we came to the United States. It was a miracle.  In thanksgiving, my entire Buddhist family converted and came into the Catholic Church.”

And in two minutes, her story eclipsed everything else said that weekend. 

Because it was personal and vulnerable–but from a place of strength and wisdom. 

Our stories–big or small, dramatic or simple–are incredibly effective ways to share the Gospel message. Part of our mission at Write These Words and Called to Communicate is to empower you to reflect deeply on your story and, if called by God, to share it in a way that:

• Respects the listener
• Honors the process of healing
• Recognizes the forces at work against any sacred storytelling
  

To that end, we are blessed to be able to announce that our next Called to Communicate event will be a free evening webinar with Dr. Bob Schuchts, founder of the John Paul II Healing Center and prolific writer and retreat leader. 

Please join us for “Say the Word: Sharing Our Stories From a Place of Wholeness and Integration” with Dr. Bob Schuchts on Friday, March 28, 2025 at 7 pm Central. 

This event is free and the recording will be made available for a limited time for all those who register.

Click here to save your seat today!

• We’ll ask Dr. Bob about his own story and how and when he knew he was ready to share that story for the sake of the wider Church.
• We’ll talk about how to know how much of your story to share and how to know when you are ready. 
• We’ll explore what makes our stories so important and so sacred, and how they are implicated in the “big story” of salvation history.
• We’ll take your questions that night, too, so please do tune in live if possible!

Your story is one of the most effective ways to move aching souls closer to the love of the Father they so long for. Put your story in the service of the prophetic mission you were baptised into! 

In imitation of Jesus, “say the word”--the sacred word of your personal history–that has the power to heal hearts and restore hope.

Click here to register.

Yours in the Word,

P.S. There are a limited number of seats for this “Say the Word” Webinar.  Don’t wait to register!