Dear all:

A short time ago, I sent the following message via email. If you did not receive it via email, it means that we do not have a valid email address for you. Please contact me or one of the Planning Team members so that we can update your contact info in our database. As I state in the message, I also encourage you to check out the JTO Connect Website at jtoconnect.org. You can provide your contact info on the site also.

God bless!

November 11, 2015 – Message Delivered via Email

I wrote the following post on the JTO Reunion Group Facebook page on March 7, 2015 as we were discovering that the dream of reconnecting as JTOers was shared by many.

I begin most days with an early morning walk. It serves not only as much needed exercise, but also as a time when I converse with God. The topics of our conversations are many and varied. This morning, with His help, I spent most of the hour and 15 minutes reflecting on each of you. The pictures posted this week by Fr. Joe brought so many wonderful and powerful memories flooding back. Even more important was remembering the feelings of self-worth, love (both being given and received), generosity, and sheer enjoyment experienced every time we interacted – whether at a Section Meeting, a retreat or day of recollection, or on Convention. Through each of you, God was working to form me. This morning I prayed for each of you and asked God to bless you and hold you close to His heart. I thanked Him for the gift of each of you in my life – and in the many ways you continue to be. I look forward to the reunion so that I can tell you that I love you and wish you God’s peace in person.

On behalf of the Planning Team, I am both excited and pleased to share that a reconnection event will take place next summer in Dayton, OH. We will gather at Bergamo Retreat Center from Friday, July 29th to Sunday, July 31st, 2016. Our theme for the weekend will be:

Francis Now! Celebrating the Journey, Living the Dream

All are invited! And yes we want to meet your spouse. A Planning Team is working prayerfully to create a weekend combining prayer, fellowship, formation and fun. Please mark your calendar now for this wonderful opportunity to reconnect.

As plans are finalized in the weeks and months ahead concerning JTO Connect, the planning team will keep you in the know. Please note the following:

• Information will be posted on the JTO Reunion Group Facebook page. If you are on Facebook and are not following the page, we ask you to join. Feel free to post any pictures and comments.
• A website has been created – jtoconnect.org. Please bookmark this page and look at it often. We will use the page to share important information about the JTO Connect event in July of 2016 and much more. Please note that the website is still under construction. It also will allow you to post important information, pictures, comments and prayer requests.
• A database has been created. We are attempting to gather the contact information for as many JTOers as possible. We want all JTOers across the country – anyone who attended a Convention or participated in a Fraternity, Franciscan Youth Group, high school group, or whatever – to know about and receive information and updates concerning the JTO Connect event next July.

Can you help us in the following ways?

1. Share your own contact information via jtoconnect.org, by responding to this email or by contacting any member of the Planning Team
2. Share the contact information of those JTOers you have remained in contact with so that we can include them.
3. Contact any/all JTOers and make sure that they are clued in. The JTO Reunion page on Facebook has grown to 137 members and our database has over 200 names. Encourage all to follow both the Facebook group and the website jtoconnect.org. There are still so many we interacted with on Convention and within our local groups that are not yet informed. Again – Do not be shy. Spread the word and help us grow our database of JTOers.

Gathering over these past few months with the planning team members has been incredible – a dream in the making for sure. I am so looking forward to gathering with you at the Bergamo Retreat Center on July 29th through 30th next summer. Do not hesitate to contact me at kenrasp55@gmail.com or 270.316.8774 with questions, the need for additional information or just to connect.

God and St. Francis brought us together in our youth and now they are providing an opportunity for us to gather and interact again. How amazing is that!

May God bless you and keep you! May He shine His face upon you!

Ken (Kenners) Rasp

JTO Connect Planning Team

• Kathy Hooper – indykat@insightbb.com, 502.544.0044
  • Steve Knapp – steven.f.knapp@ampf.com, 859.801.8874
  • Mary Lamping – mlamping5@cinci.rr.com, 513.382.7746
  • Clarissa Millner – clarissaeyes@aol.com, 513.295.2982
  • Patrick Mosher – patrick.mosher@accenture.com, 612.308.4967
  • Connie & Rod Neeson – constancediva334@aol.com, 812.242.3414
  • Bob & Kathy O’Dwyer – bobodwyer@gmail.com, 708.955.3563
  • Brother Scott Obrecht – scottofm@franciscan.org, 513.706.2619
  • Julie Rashid – hpytobefree@gmail.com, 815.257.6171
  • Mike Rasp – raspmw@gmail.com, 919.604.7073
  • Ken Rasp – kenrasp55@gmail.com, 270.316.8774
  • Therese Zins – theresezins@gmail.com

Posted by Ken Rasp