Retreat Ministry

A retreat is a period of quiet time spent in prayer and reflection, away from one's usual occupation and surroundings. It is a unique encounter with Christ where one is able to enter into profound reflection, receiving Christ's love and engaging with Him in an atmosphere that respects the need for solitude. One allows God to enter into oneself, whether that be in meditation, lectio divina, self-examination, prayer or quiet walks and peaceful observation of nature. Christ Himself took time for retreat, as reflected in His forty days in the desert (Matt 4:1-11) (Luke 4:1-13). Retreat is part of divine revelation and we as Jesus' followers will always find reasons to imitate this holy practice.

St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Francis de Sales and St. Vincent de Paul all recommended this devotion as part of the Counter-Reformation, but the early Fathers of the Desert demonstrated the need for retreat long before. Retreats can be as short as a day or as long as a month or more, but regardless, the time spend on retreat results in such gifts as sacred expansion of the heart, amendment of life, choosing of one's state of life, understanding better the training of Christian perfection and the flourishing of a life of virtue. 

We are all called to be saints! What better way to understand the path to sanctity than to take a retreat. 

In the early days of founding our community, the members lived at Immaculate Heart Retreat Center, the diocesan retreat center that had been there for 50 years at the time. They felt a deep realization that retreat ministry was part of the pathway we were to serve in the diocese. As a result, our Sisters took positions and also volunteered many of their services at the center, preparing ourselves to give Days of Prayer and retreats on site and around the country. Our Sisters also go out when called upon to give missions, conference talks, etc. sharing Christ's message and the Faith in various forms and reflective messages, spreading the good news of the Gospel in union with Mary.