Homilies
Our Lady
 

ABOUT US

Ephphatha House has always been a project of the Community of the Presentation and has come to be known primarily for its promotion of the truths of the Catholic faith.

It is a house of prayer, a retreat house, a gathering place for groups of all types seeking faith-centered activities and an atmosphere of devotion to the Lord.

 
We believe that the project of Ephphatha House is an apostolate which incorporates the elements spoken of by Pope John Paul II in encouraging all the faithful to take more seriously their call to holiness.

We recognize that, as he said, the ways to holiness are many, and that each individual must choose according to their state in life. While efforts to change our lifestyles and to pray more are to be commended, they are often overshadowed by our inability to stay focused in a busy world.

We recognize the basic need of people today for spiritual nourishment and that in the search for truth there are often several paths which can distract and even misinform us along the way. In light of this and in response to it we have taken as our focus the four elements indicated in Acts 2:42, namely;

  1. the teachings of the apostles
  2. the celebration of the Eucharist
  3. community life
  4. and prayer

and from those flow our way of life and our devotions. We offer the Truth in its fullness to all who come here and we hope and pray that by our commitment to provide an atmosphere of fidelity and submission to the Pope and the Magisterium of the Church we will help others to come to a deeper undertanding of their faith and a sincere desire to live Catholicism more fully.

  
 

Who Runs Ephphatha House?

     Our resident Community, known as The Community of the Presentation of Our Lord, handle the day to day operations at Ephphatha House. Members are those who have chosen to give themselves to the Lord in this apostolate, living at Ephphatha in order to serve this project by their prayer, their work, and their observance of a common Rule of Life. They are people from all walks of life that the Lord has called to participate in this ministry.

     In addition to the resident community, we have many supporters and benefactors, 'associates' of Ephphatha, who have recognized the value of having such a project in our midst and who help us in ways too numerous to mention. Thanks to their efforts we are able to offer our facilities to individuals and groups who wish to have retreats, workshops, presentations, or simply enjoy solitude. These people not only enjoy the various presentations, teachings and retreats offered here but also promote the mission of Ephphatha in their own parishes and communities in order to share with others what Ephphatha has offered to them.

     We also have a Board of Directors, comprised of elected associates of Ephphatha as well as residents, who set policy and make decisions regarding the overall project.

 

So the next time someone asks you what Ephphatha House is, you might explain to them that it is "everybody's house", in that we believe that everyone is called to know the Truth—called to holiness—and through Ephphatha we hope and pray that many will come to know and love the Lord in the fullness of the Catholic faith.

What happens at Ephphatha House?

We have teachings led by our Spiritual Director every week on Saturday. We practice devotion to our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament through perpetual adoration in our Chapel, devotion to Our Blessed Mother according to St. Louis de Montfort, and devotion to the Divine Mercy as manifested to Saint Faustina.

On a regular basis we:

  • pray the Liturgy of the Hours as a community at morning and evening prayer.
  • pray the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy as a community at 3:00 p.m.
  • pray the Rosary as a community at 7:00 p.m.
  • attend daily mass in the local parish, or at Ephphatha on Saturday mornings at 11:00 a.m.
  • In addition, each resident is committed to spending two hours every day in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

We put on special event weekends with guest speakers who make presentations on various topics of importance to us as Catholics today. We offer solitude to those who wish to come for private reflection and prayer and we offer a fully equipped facility to those who wish to bring groups for retreats or workshops. We can also accommodate many overnight guests.