As Lent began this week, Father Tom Simisky, SJ, pastor of St. Raphael the Archangel Catholic Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, offered a reflection on the season’s spiritual significance, drawing parallels between the biblical account of Jesus’s time in the desert and the challenges faced by contemporary parishioners.
Father Simisky, ordained a Jesuit priest in 2014, encouraged members of his congregation to persevere in prayer, embrace sacrifice, and affirm their faith during times of trial. His message comes as St. Raphael’s continues to expand its Ignatian-based programming, a focus that began with staff retreats in 2021 and parish workshops in 2022, according to a recent report from the USA East Province of the Society of Jesus.
The emphasis on Ignatian Spirituality at St. Raphael’s, characterized by a “hunger for more” – or magis, as described by St. Ignatius – has coincided with growing attendance and positive feedback from parishioners, according to Father Simisky. He noted the importance of maintaining steadfastness in the face of temptation, echoing the narrative of Jesus’s fasting and testing in the desert.
Prior to his role at St. Raphael, Father Simisky served in a variety of positions, including as a pastor, teacher, campus minister, and school president. He is also a veteran of the Marine Corps and has lived and traveled internationally. Currently, he leads a bilingual congregation at St. Raphael, alongside Parochial Vicars Fr. Larry Searles, SJ, and Fr. Kieran Halloran, SJ.
The parish’s embrace of Ignatian Spirituality follows the appointment of Rev. Lawrence P. Searles, SJ, as parochial vicar in the summer of 2022, a development welcomed by the community as an answer to prayer, according to Caroline Matovic, an Ignatian-trained Spiritual Director at the parish.
