Finding Spiritual Awakening and Love Later in Life: Rev. Rita and Rev. Patrick's Story

As a young man, Patrick Feren grew up in a dysfunctional family. At six years old, he felt the weight of disappointment for the first time when their lives and their home were literally switched into what he saw as a worse place to be in. When a good friend of Patrick introduced him to the Science of Mind, a philosophy that brings religion and science together and offers principles for living and spiritual tools to transform personal lives, he believed he was destined to belong to the church. In 1994, after losing his brother and his dad, Patrick eventually found himself in New Mexico, where he met Rita Andriello.

Rita always knew that she wanted to build a new life of ministry after being introduced to the Science of Mind by Patrick. She set her heart on becoming a minister after graduating from ministerial school. She saw the need for her to take control over her own life when the unfavorable experiences she had dealt with since she was a child and especially in her adulthood eventually led her to self-sabotage. With her achieving spiritual growth, she was certain she wanted to pay it forward by leading other people into enlightenment with Patrick.

Two totally different people looked to cross the same path together. Albeit meeting late in life, the couple felt as though they were back in their 20's when they decided to build a new life hand in hand. When other people’s eyebrows raised as they started an entirely new career in their 50’s, they resisted doubts and founded the Center for Spiritual Living Kaua`i, a vibrant Science of Mind organization based in Hawaii that helps facilitate the spiritual awakening of individuals. More than anything, Reverend Patrick and Reverend Rita desired to guide people who were struggling with the same issues that they had overcome.

As leaders who head numerous individuals, they sought the healing of the core being within them, which was covered by layers of hurt and disappointment. In Episode #58 of the Drop Your Baggage Podcast, Rev. Patrick and Rev. Rita experienced relief from these damaging emotions growing up, and this led the ministers themselves into deeper spiritual awakening as well as healing old wounds in the children inside of them.

Now, with an even stronger belief that there is always a divine purpose in whatever path a person chooses to take in life, they are firm in leading people to set their minds on achieving great things and not allowing disappointments to deter them from reaching their highest potentials. Though Rev. Patrick and Rev. Rita were hurt and disappointed early on in their lives, they were able to overcome their feelings by realizing that the things that disappointed them in the past were not actually meant to cripple them. By showing compassion towards others who did not mean to hurt them, they were able to open their hearts and minds once again toward understanding others who only might be suffering from distressing circumstances.