St. Philip Institute News

Pope St. John Paul wrote in his seminal encyclical on life, “To claim the right to abortion, infanticide, and euthanasia, and to recognize that right in law, means to attribute to human freedom a perverse and evil significance: that of an absolute power over others and against others. This is the death of true freedom: ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin’ ( John 8:34).”

“When evening had come” (Mk 4:35). The Gospel passage we have just heard begins like this. For weeks now it has been evening. Thick darkness has gathered over our squares, our streets and our cities; it has taken over our lives, filling everything with a deafening silence and a distressing void, that stops everything as it passes by; we feel it in the air, we notice in people’s gestures, their glances give them away. We find ourselves afraid and lost. Like the disciples in the Gospel we were caught off guard by an unexpected, turbulent storm. We have realized that we are on the same boat, all of us fragile and disoriented, but at the same time important and needed, all of us called to row together, each of us in need of comforting the other. On this boat… are all of us. Just like those disciples, who spoke anxiously with one voice, saying “We are perishing” (v. 38), so we too have realized that we cannot go on thinking of ourselves, but only together can we do this.

On the weekend of the 5th and 6th of March, we welcomed 22 couples to our Three to Get Married retreat at the Cathedral Center, where they were given time to reconnect, ask questions about each other and learn the role Christ has in their Marriage. Preparing them to take the step into Holy Matrimony. We were blessed to have couples from various parts of the Diocese of Tyler with us, and Bishop Strickland. Check Out our Events page for future retreats and other events like this.

El retiro de formation matrimonial “Son Tres Los Que Se Casan” es una oportunidad para parejas aprender como tener un matrimonio Cristocentrico mientras se preparan para el Sacramento del Sagrado Matrimonio. Este fin de semana estábamos en Athens con 24 parejas comprometidas, 4 parejas mentoras y un equipo maravilloso. Las parejas tuvieron tiempo para reconectarse, preguntarse preguntas uno al otro, y aprender él papel qué Cristo tiene en sus Matrimonios. Estamos bendecidos de tener parejas de varias partes en Diócesis de Tyler con nosotros.

On February 8, The Diocese of Tyler celebrated its annual World Marriage Day Mass with 105 couples from all around the diocese.

The St. Philip Institute has been on the road the last few weeks traveling throughout the diocese to the different deaneries. The executive director, Dr. Stacy Trasancos, gave a talk at each dinner titled, “How to Bind Your Family to Heaven Without Using Duct Tape.”

On January 25th, youth formation leaders from all around the Diocese of Tyler joined the St. Philip Institute at Wellspring Fransalian Center for Spirituality for the very first Bosco Day of 2020.

The St. Philip Institute Symbolism in Sacred artHave you ever wondered how to interpret sacred art? On Tuesday, January 21, 2020, Robert Puschuatz gave a presentation to the parishioners of Sacred Heart parish in Texarkana to answer those questions.  Interpretation...

The St. Philip Institute Way of Beauty - Sacred MusicOn Saturday November 23, 2019, The St. Philip Institute hosted a Way of Beauty- Sacred Music event for all the youth of the Diocese of Tyler. Approximately 20 youth and 8 youth leaders from all over the Diocese...

The St. Philip Institute Son Tres Los Que Se casanOn the weekend of the 15th and 16th of November we welcomed 17 couples to our Son Tres Los Qué Se Casan Retreat at Wellspring, where they were given time to reconnect, ask questions about each other and to learn the...