Four parishes in the Diocese of Orlando are participating in a bilingual program called "With All Your Heart/Con Todo Nuestro Corazon" to help form committed disciples. The program invites individuals to grow spiritually, build up their community, and give faithfully. It focuses on one of four "hearts" each season - Heart to Pray, Heart to Serve, Heart to Share, and Heart to Witness. The parishes have seen increased participation in faith activities and thousands have pledged to deepen their relationship with God. The program aims to unify parishes and make the church a dynamic community where people invest their whole hearts.

1. April 22-May 12, 2016 Florida Catholic
Jennifer Powers
Florida Catholic correspondent
ORLANDO | Four parishes in
the diocese are forming committed
disciples by participating in a bilin-
gual program called With All Your
Heart/Con Todo Nuestro Corazon,
aparish-basedprogramthatinvites
individuals to grow spiritually, help
build community, and give faith-
fully.
AssistedbytheCatholicFounda-
tion of Central Florida, St. John the
Evangelist in Viera, St. Vincent de
Paul in Wildwood, St. Francis of As-
sisi in Apopka, and Mission Santo
Toribio Romo in Mascotte, started
the two year program this past Ad-
vent. Developed in 2013 by Greater
Mission, the programs are being
implemented in about 20 parishes
nationwide in order to unify bilin-
gualparishes.
“It helps parishes become closer
as a community. Churches belong
to all of us. To be dynamic, people
have to put all their hearts into it,”
said pastor Holy Cross Father Brad-
ley Beaupre, pastor of St. John the
Evangelist.
The program is built on one of
four “hearts” per season — Heart to
Pray,HearttoServe,HearttoShare,
and Heart to Witness. It offers a
yearlong cycle of opportunities for
church members to become more
active in developing their faith life
andparishcommunity.
“Disciples are engaged in re-
lationship with Jesus Christ, and
disciples are engaged in their par-
ishes,” said Christine Stillings,
adult faith formation coordinator
at St Francis in Apopka. “Working
with(theprogram)willenableusto
form patterns of disciple-making in
our parish culture, and then as dis-
ciples, see how we may enter more
fully into Christ’s great commis-
sion.”
Tailoring the program to the
needs and characteristics of their
community, parishes have already
beguntoseesomeoutcomes.
“Parishes had an average of
17 different activities during the
Heart to Pray season,” said Doris
Quinones, annual giving manager
at the Catholic Foundation, who
provides technical assistance to
the parishes in the program. “They
saw an increase in participation in
activities like rosaries before and
afterMass,newprayergroups,lectio
divinagroups,andtheuseofprayer
mobileappsandtexts.”
Quinones said the thousands
of people across the four parishes
signed pledge cards, promising to
deepen their relationship with God
and came up with almost 7,000
waystodoso.
“It is not a rubber stamp, cookie-
‘With All Your Heart’
program forms disciples
cutter program,” Stillings said. “In
a diverse community like ours, the
activities are varied, and can bring
us together as one community, like
our bilingual Liturgy of the Hours
duringAdventandLent.”
St. Francis of Assisi was suc-
cessful in bringing the English and
Spanish-speaking communities
together for the feast of Our Lady of
Guadalupe by teaching about the
patroness of the Americas in Eng-
lish, and inviting everyone to cel-
ebrateherfeastday.
At Mission Santo Toribio Romo,
during the Heart to Serve segment,
a parishioner donated a sewing
machine to start sewing and craft
classes for the wives of migrant
workers. Others have donated the
fabric so that the women can learn
to sew clothes for their children. In
addition, they are helping the wom-
en gain confidence and give them
somethingmeaningfultodo.
AspartofWithAllYourHeart,St.
Vincent de Paul parishioners were
asked to celebrate an “Elder Kind-
ness Day” to bring attention to the
needs of the elderly in the commu-
nity,manyofwhommaybeisolated
or alone. Parishioners participated
bycallinganelderlyfriendorneigh-
bor, sending a note to an elderly
relative, visiting a nursing home, or
offering help to the elderly in their
community.
At St. John the Evangelist, the
Heart to Serve included a children’s
walk-a-thon to raise money for the
Children’sHungerProject.
“It’s an ideal way to cap off our
Heart to Serve. It’s mercy in action,
children helping children,” Father
Beaupresaid.
Theparishpartneredwithalocal
Brevard County charity to provide
backpacks filled with kid-friendly
food,sothatchildrencanhavebasic
nutritionovertheweekend.
Comingupnext,parisheswillbe-
gin the third phase of the program,
Heart to Share, which will focus on
stewardshipoftime,talentandtrea-
sure. Knowing the positive effects
of program, Quinones hopes that
moreparisheswillwanttobegin.
“We want to see more parishes
take part in it. The program gives
them a way of organizing, especial-
ly during this Year of Mercy. We can
help them through the process, but
the parish decides what would be
most beneficial to them” said Qui-
nones.
FatherBeaupresaidhefeelsposi-
tive about the results so far, and is
receiving feedback that people are
extending themselves more than
everbefore.
“Our goal is to encourage all in-
dividuals to do as much as they can
to serve,” he said. “We have asked
people to look around, see where
there is a need, and then serve oth-
ers’needs.”n
Adriana and her son, Samuel, participate in a walkathon April 16
to raise money for the Children’s Hunger Project at St. John the
Evangelist Parish in Viera. (ANDREA NAVARRO | FC)