St. Simeon Skete, Taylorsville Kentucky USA

With St. Simeon, the God receiver, as our patron, the skete seeks to practice the ideals found in our Rule, The Thousand Day Nazareth. In simplicity and poverty, the skete embraces the struggle of inner life through the practice of the Prayer Rope.

See our website at www.nazarethhouseap.org

Donations should be addressed to: Nazareth House Apostolate, 185 Captains Cove Drive, Taylorsville, Kentucky 40071.

Important Notice: All writings, posts, graphics & photographs in this blog are the copyrighted property of (unless otherwise indicated) Nazareth House Media, a division of Nazareth House Apostolate and cannot be copied, printed or used without written permission from NHA Media, Taylorsville, KY.

Monday, February 14, 2011

PrayLoveWalk, Chico California

Nazareth House Apostolate began in prayer.  It is that “making space for God” that we strive to continue.   
When many think of Nazareth House Apostolate, they think of the humanitarian work we do in Sierra Leone.   

That work, full of compassion, is a portion of what Nazareth House Apostolate is. 

Humanitarian work is noble work but for NHA, as with everything else of NHA, it must be born out of and sustained in prayer.   Without it, we become simply one of many humanitarian organizations. 

There is so much more to Nazareth House Apostolate. 
Without focus, commitment and practice of prayer as the priority, we become nothing than another secular establishment.   Our prayer is not only a precious gift to give others, but more importantly it is for God.   This is why St. Simeon Skete is vital to us all.  
People need a place of ongoing prayer,  a place where God is enough.  Not all of us can live the demanding disciplined life at the Skete, but we can all pray.  And when there are times in which we are unable to pray because of the distractions and dysfunctions of the world, it is comforting to know that there is a place where prayer is constant and where we are taken up into that prayer.  
This blog post is not meant as a suggestion for you to assume we no longer need your donations-quite the opposite.   (Although, if you can only give us one thing, we’d rather it  be prayer.) The goal of this post is a recommitment to the statement you’ve heard so many times from us: 
“Nazareth House Apostolate relies totally on God
as he expresses Himself through our supporters’ prayers, 
compassion and generosity.”
It is to the degree that you are in ongoing relationship with God that you will hear, know and understand what he has put into your heart.  

In the spirit of focusing on prayer, the parish of St. Augustine of Canterbury in Chico, California sponsored a “Walk-a-thon” to benefit Nazareth House Apostolate on New Years Day 2011.  They didn’t want to just WALK through Bidwell Park, they wanted to PRAY through it.  And that is exactly what they did. 
From the beginning, the event was organized in prayer, about prayer and for prayer.  The normal administrative preparations all began and ended in prayer from permits to advertisement.  


Even the name of the Event maintained the focus: PRAY- LOVE-WALK-a-thon.   
On the day of PrayLoveWalk, we’d hoped for a sunny, warm day.  It didn’t happen, we got exactly the opposite - a rainy, cold and dismal morning.  But it didn’t matter.   
The gathering of the people filled with love brought about all the warmth and light we could ask for.  
The teamwork was incredible. 
People helping out to do whatever

 task to make the PrayLoveWalk a reality.  
One after another, they joined in to register the walkers.
Thankful to Augie’s Fine Coffee and Tea,  we enjoyed hot coffee to wake us up and keep our teeth from chattering.  
It was wonderful to see the loving fellowship

 and genuine happiness as people greeted each other and worked together.  
The prayer walk opened (of course) in prayer, 
and then the participants 

dispersed into groups
 or individually to begin the course
 through Bidwell Park.  

Each step a prayer, 
each smile a prayer, 
each conversation a prayer...
In the midst of the prayer walk 

we happened upon the New Year's Day "Polar Bear" Swimmers 
who brave the icy weather to take a yearly splash in the cold waters in Bidwell Park. 
The prayer walk combined with such great fellowship seemed blessing enough, but St. Augustine Parish being St. Augustine Parish didn’t end the day there - they also fed us. 
Again, teamwork at its best, 
a tremendous breakfast was spread before us.   

Having had a nice prayer walk, a great breakfast 


and lots 



of good fellowship,



 it was now time 
for the Raffle Drawings.   
More fun
More fellowship
and then a little bit more fellowship...

Nazareth House Apostolate is very much in awe of the NHA gathering in Chico.  What a wonderful work you have done.   

We are very pleased to announce the results of the PrayLoveWalk -a-thon:
  • $500 received January 1st; individual check to NHA
  • $1769 received January 17; summary of checks written to NHA
  • $1893.79 received January 27; individual check from St. Augustine to NHA (total of checks written to St. Augustine for NHA)
  • $50 received from out of State donor written to NHA
for a grand total presented to Nazareth House Apostolate: $4,212.79. ...and it all began in prayer.    Simply amazing!  


Thank you to everyone who participated, what an awesome work.   Thank you, thank you!
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