Boundless Compassion book and group discussions touched Epiphany in Lent 2022

What began as a simple sharing of a book between two friends, both of whom were fans of the author Joyce Rupp, sparked an interest in the topic of compassion and caught the attention of nearly 100 Epiphany parishioners during Lent of 2021. I read and prayed over Joyce Rupp’s book Boundless Compassion for my Lenten spiritual reading in 2020. Knowing that Lisa Downs, the then Director of Faith Formation at Epiphany, shared my enthusiasm for Rupp’s books, I offered the book to Lisa. She read it and happened to mention it to another parish group with whom she was planning opportunities for adult spiritual nourishment. The next thing I knew Lisa was calling me to meet with two representatives of this group to discuss the possibility of introducing the book to the parish through Lenten discussion groups. Lisa left Epiphany to assume the role of Director of Retreats at Nazareth Retreat Center and Rosemary Smith, Jean Denney, and I carried the project forward.

We launched a campaign to advertise the book and solicit small group leaders. Our first recruit responded with an encouraging “You had me at ‘compassion.’” All told 14 persons came forward and were trained as facilitators. Facilitators selected their day and time frame for leading a group. A process for registrations was set up with the option for online registration or an in-person sign-up following several weekends of Masses. We heard from a number of registrants how glad they were to see the “return” of small Lenten faith-sharing groups, a beloved tradition from Epiphany’s past. Anyone who indicated an interest in the book but was unable to participate in a group was encouraged to read the book during Lent in solidarity with fellow parishioners.

Sixty-two people signed up to participate in one of seven groups; three of the trained facilitators were leading long-standing monthly groups and asked if their participants could simply become a Boundless Compassion group; SoulLife decided to read Boundless Compassion, and one couple who had trained as facilitators formed their own group from friends outside of the parish. All told, more than 100 Epiphany parishioners read the book and gleaned deep insights into the exercise of compassion—the characteristic most descriptive of Jesus himself.

So moved were participants that many expressed a desire to keep reading and learning about this virtue when the study ended. So Rosemary, Jean, and I polled the groups to see if there might be interest in a summer retreat and/or the formation of monthly Circles of Compassion—an idea Joyce Rupp put forward in the book as a way to nurture continuing growth in compassion. As a further sign that the retreat idea was being blessed by God, Lisa Downs was able to attend a four-day Boundless Compassion retreat and spend a day with Joyce Rupp learning how to create reflection days around the themes of the book. We contacted Lisa about the possibility of holding a retreat day at Nazareth with her as a facilitator. 

So we have come full circle to the initiation of this project! The retreat was on Thursday, July 21 and nearly 40 people attended. Who knows where the Holy Spirit will lead next, but it is clear that the topic of becoming more compassionate persons resonates with Epiphany hearts—and that offers great hope for more good things to come.

--Therese Carroll-Caruso