Since 2018, I have created the Islander Awakening Retreat banners for the Texas A&M Corpus Christi Newman Center. It became a yearly tradition to create these banners. They are used during a weekend retreat as a backdrop to help inspire the college students who attend the retreat. I create them using a twin sheet with sharpies.
This year, the theme is from Ephesians 3:21 (NABRE) which read “to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” As always the conceptual phase of my process took the longest which involves endless prayers to the Holy Spirit to reveal the images to depict on this banner. It finally came.
What ties us through all the generations is Jesus, in the Eucharist. His true presence.
The image shows the Resurrected Jesus with a floating Eucharist purposely on his chest, below it are St. Peter (the 1st pope) praising Jesus and Pope Francis (the current pope) praying to Jesus. Under St. Peter is a multi-generational family from 1st century biblical times and under Pope Francis is a the modern day multi-generational and muti-racial family. Both are connected through the 2 little girls holding hands. A bridge through time.
I was thrilled to get feedback from the students about the banner and they expressed that it was their favorite so far. I can’t wait to see what the next banner would look like for 2026 Islander Awakening X Retreat. The Holy Spirit will reveal it when the time comes.
