BOCA RATON | Thirteen students from St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary participated Feb. 22, 2025, in a day of spiritual renewal for adults with physical disabilities sponsored by AIM, an outreach ministry of St. Joan of Arc Parish in Boca Raton. They were led by Father Kevin McQuone, assistant professor of pastoral theology and director of propaedeutic formation at the seminary, who has been priest-presenter for the last four AIM events.
AIM, which stands for Achieve, Inspire, Motivate, has provided weekend retreats and days of renewal for 45 years, as well as virtual mini retreats via Zoom since 2020. The in-person retreats pair disabled individuals with a “buddy” who helps provide whatever assistance may be needed. More than 60 people gathered in the parish’s Mercy Center under the theme, “Make our hearts like unto Thine,” focusing on the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The morning talk of Father McQuone, a priest of the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee, reflected on the threefold love flowing from the Sacred Heart, represented in the “burning fire of love within the Trinitarian communion between Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God is love. God is a communion of persons, and from all eternity before time, outside of time, God is a communion of love in and within himself, and yet this great love is now revealed in the person of Jesus Christ,” he said.
The second aspect of love revealed in the Sacred Heart is God’s love for humanity through Jesus, Father McQuone said. We are reminded of that by the story of Christ’s suffering and death, with blood and water pouring out of his side, washing us and giving us life, he said.
The Sacred Heart’s third aspect is Christ’s sensible love, fully human and fully divine, Father McQuone said.
“He loves us, not only with divine love, but he also loves us as a fellow human being with human love,” he said. “Think of the love that you have for the closest people in your life, for family members, for children, for friends. Think of how your heart is moved when they are experiencing trials. Think of how your heart rejoices when they are going through the best of times.”
Father McQuone’s afternoon talk, titled “Hearts like unto Jesus,” was linked to Psalm 42 (“As the deer yearns for running streams, so my soul is longing for you, my God”), reminding those attending that God has placed a desire in their heart to be close to him.
“Our call to holiness is actually to allow his heart to become our heart, and our heart to be raised to his,” he said. “It’s a stretching process, growing pains. It’s not all roses. It’s thorns, too. But because of our fallen state, that’s God’s way of stretching us so that we have a greater capacity to receive his love.”
Father McQuone said it’s an important part of early formation for seminarians to be involved with programs like AIM, which can open their eyes to perspectives that they had never encountered.
“We try to give them pastoral experiences in this first year that will challenge them in a way that most of them have not been challenged before. So, their weekly pastoral activity is to go to St. Ann Place (in West Palm Beach) and to work with the homeless,” he said.
“They just went on a three-week poverty immersion in January,” Father McQuone added. “They were back in their dioceses working among the poor with Catholic Charities and St. Vincent de Paul and other things, immigration services and such. Then this (the AIM ministry) kind of fits along with that. It’s a different kind of poverty, but it’s a very real poverty of not being able to maybe do everything you wanted to do. Our hope is that these experiences will kind of hit them from different angles and challenge them.”
At the start of the Day of Spiritual Renewal, participants paid homage to Harriet Molinski, a longtime member of St. Joan of Arc Parish and co-founder of the AIM ministry, who died Jan. 28 at age 94. Paul Paschke, who got to know Harriet and her husband, Bernie, in 1986, spoke about them and their impact on countless disabled people and those who care for them.
“Harriet was such a blessing to all of us who knew her,” he said. “Her strong spirit and deep faith sustained her through life and in these last difficult years, especially without Bernie. That’s probably one of the most difficult parts of her journey. But she was a model of perseverance and faith. I just pray for her, and I know she’s at peace, resting with Bernie and everyone else.”
The day also included Mass celebrated by Father McQuone, music, prayer, silent reflection, table discussions, group sharing, breakfast and lunch.
Anyone interested in being part of a future AIM event — either with a physical disability or as a volunteer — can find more information at https://AIMretreats.org or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AIMSt.JoanCatholicChurch
