2024 Annual SixThree Spiritual Retreat
Our 2024 Annual Six-Three Spiritual Retreat at Malvern is scheduled for:
June 14, 15 & 16, 2024
Retreat will be back to a regular schedule, starting Friday evening, Saturday & Sunday morning, available in person or virtual.
We hope you enjoyed your retreat!
Menu: Retreat Director | Guest Speaker | Young Man Initiative | Carlo Acutis
2024 Retreat Director
Fr Douglas McKay, Spiritual Guidance and Liturgy
Fr. McKay is a nationally-recognized retreat director, author and evangelist. He became a priest in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in 1982, and later founded Our House Ministries, a recovery-based ministry group located in Grays Ferry, Philadelphia. The Ministry is dedicated to helping those who are dependent on alcohol or drugs, who are depressed, or who have turned to crime. He has previously served as Chaplain for Holy Family Home and worked with Little Sisters of the Poor. Fr. McKay was awarded the St. Rita Peace Award in 2015.
Jennifer Hubbard, Guest Speaker
Jennifer Hubbard graduated from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College with a BA degree in art history and communications. Upon graduating from college, she worked for a Fortune 100 company for nine years. Jennifer left the professional workforce to raise her two children, Frederick and Catherine. Her youngest child, Catherine Violet, was a victim of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Jennifer and her husband, Matthew, established the Catherine Violet Hubbard Foundation, Inc.® to support those causes that best represent their daughter and her life. The foundation’s current focus is in creating and developing programming that will sustain the Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary® in Newtown, CT. Jennifer is a monthly contributor for the Magnificat. Her essays focus on God’s healing presence and His faithfulness. She is the recipient of a 2014 and 2015 Catholic Press Awards and has had her work published in Fairfield County Catholic.
2024 Retreat Special Feature – Young Man Initiative
This your we will be featuring a special initiative designed to cater to the needs of our younger retreatants (ages 17 to 40). On Saturday morning of our weekend retreat we will have a special exercise for these young retreatants that will help them focus on issues that are important to them. The session will include some material and discussion regarding the challenges of people your age and retreatants will be encouraged to offer feedback on how best to tailor our retreat to better meet your needs. The following video will help you understand some of the concepts we will attempt explore in this session…
We are excited to introduce our Young Man’s initiative at the 2024 retreat, scheduled for Saturday morning at 10:45am. This brief yet impactful session is designed for young men aged 17 to 40, drawing inspiration from the “That Man Is You!” program by Paradisus Dei.
The “That Man Is You!” program addresses the significant pressures and temptations that men encounter in today’s culture, focusing particularly on their roles as husbands and fathers. It integrates insights from current social and medical sciences with the teachings of the Church and the wisdom of the saints, aiming to develop the vision of a man fully alive.
Our session will provide materials and foster discussions about the challenges faced by young adults in our modern society. We encourage retreatants to actively participate and provide feedback to help us tailor the retreat to better meet their needs. To gain a deeper understanding of the experiences shared by men who have participated in the “That Man Is You!” program, we will show an introductory video.
Our ultimate goal is to accompany men on their journey, guiding them through the complexities of family and life, and leading them on the pathway to holiness. We look forward to your participation and valuable insights during this initiative.
Who is Carlo Acutis?
Despite what one might think of a young candidate for the honors of the altars, Carlo was an absolutely normal boy, like most of his peers, but with an absolutely special harmony, thanks to his great friendship with Jesus.
In addition to his main duties of his status as that of student and son, he manages to find time to teach catechism to children preparing for First Communion and Confirmation; to volunteer at the soup kitchen of the Capuchins and the nuns of Mother Teresa; to help the poor who live in his neighborhood; to help children in difficulty with their homework; to carry out apostolic works with the internet; to play the saxophone; to play football; to design programs with the computer; to have fun with video games; watching detective films and making home movies with his dogs and cats.
“To always be united with Jesus, this is my life plan” , he wrote when he was only seven years old. And since then he has always been faithful to this program until his departure for Heaven which took place between 11 and 12 October 2006 at the San Gerardo Hospital in Monza.
Since he was a child, Carlo has always shown a great attraction towards “Heaven” . By a special circumstance, given his uncommon maturity in matters of Faith and his great love for the Sacrament of the Eucharist, Carlo was admitted to First Communion at just seven years old and since then he has never missed his daily appointment with the Holy Mass and some Eucharistic adoration either before or after Mass and the daily Rosary.
Carlo writes that when “you stand in front of the sun you tan… but when you stand in front of Jesus the Eucharist you become saints” . For Carlo “the Eucharist is his highway to Heaven” , and also the most powerful means of becoming saints quickly. His famous phrase is: “Everyone is born original but many die like photocopies” .
In order not to die as a photocopy, Carlo draws from the source of the Sacraments, which for Carlo are the most powerful means to grow in virtue, effective signs of God’s infinite mercy for us. Thanks to the Eucharist, Charles heroically strengthens the virtue of fortitude, which will give him that courage common to all saints, to always go against the grain and oppose the false idols that the world constantly offers us.
The Eucharist also fuels in him a very strong desire to constantly tune in to the voice of the Lord, and to always live in his presence. By doing so, Carlo manages to bring that lifestyle learned at the school of the Eucharist: being at school, in a pizzeria with friends or in the square for a football match, or using the computer, becomes a lived Gospel. Carlo managed in an extraordinary way, despite living an ordinary existence like that of many, to dedicate his life, moment after moment, to the highest goal to which all men are called: eternal bliss with God.
Carlo, “the in love with God” , he experienced this strong presence of the divine in his earthly life and tried in every way to generously transmit it to others and still continues to intercede so that everyone can put God first in their lives and say like Carlo: “Not me but God” ; “Not self-love but the glory of God” ; “Sadness is looking towards oneself, happiness is looking towards God” .
Mary Bea Damico, Guest Speaker
Led to Jesus through Our Blessed Mother, Mary Bea is a passionate Catholic Evangelist, with a deep love for the Eucharist, Our Lady, and for our one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. Her witness is one of giving her continuous ‘Yes’ at the calling of Our Lord – in the workplace, in the family and in the world. Most recently, she responded to the Lord’s whisper to create a place of Eucharistic Encounter for the youth at Malvern Retreat House, building upon the life and work of Blessed Carlo Acutis – and the challenge to become the saints we were created to be.
Mary Bea is the President of Vovéo Marketing Group, a full service B2B Marketing Agency which she founded in January of 1995. A graduate of St. Joseph’s University, Mary Bea has served on the Haub School of Business Marketing Advisory Board, and is an active member of the Malvern Retreat House Board, as well as the St. Patrick School Board. She serves on the Archdiocese of Philadelphia Eucharistic Revival Committee, and is an active member of St. Patrick Parish Malvern. Through her business, Mary Bea has worked to assist many Catholic Non-Profit organizations – such as World Meeting of Families, Miraculous Medal Shrine, and National Centre for Padre Pio.
She has been a retreatant at Malvern since 2018, and has attended nearly 30 retreats.
Passing of John D. Familetti
It is with great sadness that we inform you about the passing of John Familetti.
John Dominic Familetti, age 91, of Pennsylvania, passed away on Wednesday, February 15, 2023.
He was born on September 11, 1931 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to the late Margaret Mary (nee DeMarco) and Domenic Anthony Famigletti.
He was a Six-Three man of Malvern and member of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Seffner, FL, where he was involved with Tender Care and the Food Pantry.
John is survived by his wife, Beverly P. Familetti; brother, Michael Famigletti; children, Dolores Evans (Edmond), John D. Familetti Jr. (Lisa ), Donna Collins (Sean), Joseph Familetti, James Familetti (Michele), Robert Familetti, Thomas Familetti (Christine), Anne Schmitt (George), 21 grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews .
In addition to his parents, John was preceded in death by his brother, Dominic Familetti, and grandchildren Michael Collins and Nora Familetti.
A memorial mass for John will be held at a later date in Pennsylvania.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.HillsboroMemorial.com for the Familetti family.
God Bless….Prosit,
Six Three Group
Executive Committee Members
Passing of Dr. Alphonse Di Giovanni
It is with great sadness that we inform you about the passing of our friend Dr. Alphonse Di Giovanni.
Al was a Six-Three man, 17 year reteatant at Malvern and father of fellow Six-Three Captain Mark Di Giovanni & recently deceased honorary Captain Ralphie Di Giovanni.
Al had been suffering over the last couple years with physical ailments that prevented him from attending retreat. Al had a great love for Malvern and his SixThree retreat he shared with his family was of paramount importance in his life.
The DiGiovanni family would like all friends of Dr. Al to be aware that they are planning services as follows:
Viewing – Thursday 6pm – 8pm
Danjolell Funeral Home
2811 West Chester Pike, Broomall , PA 19008
Viewing- Friday 9:30am – 11:00am
St. Mary Magdalen Church
2400 N Providence Rd, Media, PA 19063
Mass – Friday 11:00am
St. Mary Magdalen Church
2400 N Providence Rd, Media, PA 19063
Please keep Dr. Alphonse DiGiovanni and his family, in your prayers.
Visit the Danjolell memorial website:
https://www.tributearchive.com/obituaries/26515216/alphonse-j-digiovanni-md/broomall/pennsylvania/danjolell-memorial-homes-and-crematory
God Bless….Prosit,
Six Three Group
Executive Committee Members
Passing of Bill Angelo
It is with great sadness that we inform you about the passing of our friend Bill Angelo.
Bill was a Six-Three man, 54 year reteatant at Malvern and father of fellow Six-Three member Mark Angelo.
Bill had been suffering over the last couple years with physical ailments that prevented him from attending retreat. Anyone who knew Bill understands how particularly troubling this must have been for him as Malvern and his SixThree retreat were of paramount importance in his life.
Bill was an intensely spiritual man with a notably jovial spirit who made the long trek each year from Minersville, PA to Malvern to make his retreat. With intense dedication, Bill served our group as “chief registration coordinator”, a task that he did not take lightly. It was important to Bill that he contribute to the Malvern tradition that had been an integral part of his life for decades.
Bill Angelo was indeed a fixture at our annual SixThree Retreat and will be greatly missed by all. We ask you to keep Bill and his family, in your prayers.
Arrangements will be announced by the Donald J. Butler Funeral Home, Minersville. https://www.donaldjbutlerfh.com/listings
God Bless….Prosit,
Six Three Group
Executive Committee Members
Passing of Ralph G. DiGiovanni
It is with great sadness that we inform you about the passing of our friend Ralph G. DiGiovanni. We ask you to keep Ralph and his family, in your prayers.
Ralph is a Six-Three man, 38 year reteatant at Malvern and brother of Six-Three Executive Committee member and former CA Captain Mark DiGiovanni. In 2019 Ralph served as Honorary CA Captain and has been a special friend to many Six Three men over the years.
Ralph has been suffering over the last couple years with progressive cognitive loss and was recently transported to hospice care. Sadly, we received word that he passed quietly last night, Wednesday, February 3, 2021, shortly before midnight. We ask that his friends and fellow Six-Three men keep Ralph and the entire DiGiovanni family in your prayers during this difficult time.
Services for Ralph will consist only of a Funeral mass to be held at St. Mary Magdalen Church, 2400 N. Providence Rd., Media, Pennsylvania 19063 on Monday, February 8th at 11:00am.
This service will also be available via live stream from St. Mary’s website: https://www.stmarymagdalen.net/live-stream
God Bless….Prosit,
Six Three Group
Executive Committee Members
Do You Also Want To Leave
Fr. Matt’s sermon this week is on reflects on times in the church’s history when people chose to leave.
The Sin Of Gluttony
Fr. Matt’s sermon this week is on the sin of gluttony this week. Gluttony is the most tolerated sin there is.
The Great Saint Paul
Father Matt Guckin reflects on St. Paul and how reflecting on our limitations is useful in bringing us closer to God.
Prayer Is Trending
Father Matt Guckin discusses prayer and the Novina for the nine days from The Ascension to Pentecost.
2018 Guest Speaker – Kathleen McCarthy
Kathleen McCarthy is a published author, Catholic radio broadcaster and has been a Catholic lay evangelist for almost 40 years. Her message of the Father’s merciful love, the Real Presence in the Holy Eucharist, and the power of the Holy Spirit are central to the doctrines of the Catholic Church.
Kathleen has traveled across the country and internationally as a sought after conference speaker and facilitates workshops, days of renewal and parish retreats. Kathleen has been involved in healing ministry for over four decades. She has the gift of storytelling that readily touches the hearts of all individuals. Her willingness to share her faith and wisdom has established her as a dynamic instrument for proclaiming God’s word to both believers and inactive Catholics of all ages.
Kathleen has experienced the death of a husband, loss of a house through fire, personal and family illness and loss. Through it all, her uncompromising love of God and faith in His love for her has been her source of strength in weakness and her light in darkness. She is a gifted speaker who shares with enthusiasm and motivates many hearts to experience the living God.
