By: Jerry Langworthy (Riverbend TEC)
Jerry Langworthy from Riverbend TEC won the TEC Conference’s first annual Enrichment Exchange in 2022. He traveled from Minnesota to Florida to work a retreat with Sonshine TEC in the Archdiocese of Miami. Jerry has shared details of his travels below, which we’re sharing in anticipation of the 2023 Enrichment Exchange! If you have a heart for travel and want to experience TEC in another community, be sure to download the application from our website (under the Gereke Fund tab) and apply before December 31, 2023.
First—thank you, Dorothy, for being an inspiration! TEC’s cofounder Dorothy Gereke was always willing and full of God’s graces to travel and be a part of TEC experiences across the country. I still remember fondly picking you up in Minneapolis and driving you down to the Diocese of New Ulm so you could be a part of a Riverbend TEC weekend.
And thank you to the TEC Conference for the generous stipend, as part of the Gereke Fund. A year ago, I left my old job and started a new one, moving back to my hometown and adjusting to less income. The grant in 2023 helped cover the travel expenses as I visited Sonshine TEC.
Thank you as well to the Sonshine TEC family for welcoming me back for TEC #28. It was a really good weekend. I flew down a few days early just so I could visit with Deacon Dick and his wife Colleen. All the times I was able to visit and stay at their home in Islamorada, FL, always included an invitation to come and be a part of a Sonshine TEC weekend. It took a few years to make it happen, but working TEC as part of the Enrichment Exchange was filled with blessings.
There were many familiar faces on the team for TEC #28, as well as a few new ones. The Sonshine TEC community is a vibrant, faith-filled family. Amazing reflections and personal witness stories… and jaw dropping musical talent! (We should sign them up for TEC’s 60th anniversary in 2025!) I got to be a part of a deeply spiritual community.
If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to work on a TEC weekend in another diocese, you should spend time in prayer and discernment—and then say “yes” because Christ is counting on you. Allow the experience to open your heart to the familiar yet unfamiliar. I’ve experienced nine TEC centers, and every center does something just a little bit differently, bringing a unique experience, but still one deeply embedded with the Paschal Mystery and filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit. Plus, the people you’ll meet—amazing!
