By Pauline Benetti
Special to The PREVIEW
For many people, the month of February has come to be synonymous with Valentine’s Day. Saint Valentine was a Christian priest who was imprisoned, tortured and executed by the Roman Emperor Claudius on Feb. 14, 269.
Little is known about his life, but it is said that he defied the order of the emperor by secretly performing Christian weddings for couples, allowing the husbands involved to escape conscription. According to legend, Valentine cut hearts from parchment “to remind these men of their vows and God’s love,” giving rise to the widespread use of hearts on Valentine’s Day.
During this Sunday’s service, Avalon Haykus of our fellowship will talk about love and its role in our lives. How do we give and receive love both as individuals and within our community? The New York Times bestseller “The 5 Love Languages” by Gary Chapman will contribute to our exploration, providing us with clues about how to fill our “emotional love tanks” and giving us concrete ways to nourish ourselves and others.
Avalon Haykus MA, CHT, received her master’s degree in psychology from Antioch University. As a psychotherapist in private practice, she specialized in the use of hypnosis to help clients heal emotional trauma and access higher states of consciousness. She owned and taught state-approved professional certification trainings in hypnotherapy until retiring in 2012.
Avalon is a past president of the Pagosa Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. She has also served as lay minister, youth religious exploration teacher and worship committee chair. She feels grateful to be a part of the progressive and inclusive religious community that is the Pagosa Unitarian Universalist Fellowship.
Our fellowship offers each individual support in our unique spiritual path and an opportunity to participate in positive social and environmental action. We welcome diversity and invite everyone to share in our faith community.
Religious Exploration (RE) classes are held on the third and fourth Sundays and continue through to May. For more information about RE, contact Anna Ramirez at afrancis@hotmail.com.
Find us in Unit B-15 of the Greenbriar Plaza. From North Pagosa Boulevard, turn right onto Park Avenue and right again into Greenbriar Plaza, then turn left and continue around the complex until you see the Unitarian Universalist sign as it faces the mountains. Join us. For further information about the Pagosa Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, visit pagosauu.org or call 731-7900.
