John R. Wood
Anita Draper
Catholic Herald staff
The author of “Ordinary Lives, Extraordinary Mission: 5 Steps to Winning the War Within” is bringing his mission of everyday sainthood to the Diocese of Superior.
Our Lady of Sorrows, Ladysmith, hosts speaker John Wood, Saturday, Aug. 13, 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
An affiliate of the Dynamic Catholic Institute, Matthew Kelly’s nonprofit dedicated to re-energizing American Catholicism, Wood is a mobile eye doctor who moonlights as a Catholic teacher, speaker and writer. He and his wife, Kristin, live in Ohio with their four children.
Wood tours with Simply RC, a musical duo of singer/songwriters and worship leaders who also hail from Ohio.
Gina Baker, a teacher at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School, was inspired to invite Wood to Ladysmith after attending a Dynamic Catholic event.
“My mom and I had gone to a Matthew Kelly event in New Richmond last summer,” she said. “He was just very inspiring and very motivational.”
At the end of his presentation, Kelly encouraged listeners to invite Dynamic Catholic to their parishes. So, Baker contacted the organization.
“They decided our parish might be a good fit to have an event,” she added.
Baker, who is a Dynamic Catholic representative in her parish, receives books and CDs every month to share with fellow parishioners. She said the parish gives away the organization’s books at Christmas time, and church groups read and discuss them.
Wood’s mission is to bring a strong sense of purpose to ordinary life, she said, and his book motivates readers to enhance their daily living.
“John Wood talks about how we should live our ordinary lives to be more like the saints,” Baker added.
‘Ordinary Lives, Extraordinary Mission: 5 Steps to Winning the War Within’ is a guidebook to living purposefully and achieving lasting happiness, and anyone looking to enrich their prayer lives or infuse their day-to-day lives with meaning and inspiration should attend.
“Come to this event, and learn to live simply, or simply live,” she said.
Our Lady of Sorrows can accommodate 500 people; thus far, about 100 are registered for the event. Tickets cost $10, which includes snacks and a gift bag of materials from Dynamic Catholic.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.dynamiccatholic.com or by calling 859-980-7900.
Tickets are also being sold after Mass in Rusk County Catholic Community cluster parishes.
