Reconnect with your faith in a place of natural beauty and peace
A comfortable outfit. A question about life’s direction. A toothbrush, toothpaste. And these days, a pandemic-weary heart.
Along with everyday items, people making retreats often “pack” questions or concerns that they hope to engage with during their time in quiet, away. These vary from person to person, influenced by personal experience, present concerns and even, perhaps, anxiety about personal piety or “worthiness.”
The type of retreat can frame questions, too. A preached, group retreat might focus on a particular topic about faith or spirituality, whereas a self-directed retreat might provide less structure and more spiritual breathing room.
But whether for a 30-day Ignatian experience or a weekend of faith exploration, one of the blessings of a retreat is that neither the packing nor the person making the “getaway with God” need be perfect. Unexpected peace, new forms of prayer, insight, relaxation and reflection can bring the retreatant, however imperfect, into a profoundly rich experience.
“Retreats aren’t just for pious people. They’re for people trying to find God in their lives, in whatever clumsy or bumbling way. You don’t have to be perfect to walk in the retreat door,” says Jesuit Father William Campbell, director of Gonzaga Eastern Point Retreat House in Gloucester, Mass.
“Once the person is here, we begin from a place of Ignatian spirituality,” Father Campbell says. “We’ll often ask the directee or retreatant, ‘Why are you here? What’s the desire within you that’s prompted you to make the retreat? In the midst of this desire, who is God for you now?’”
He added, “Focus on the present can be a blessed beginning for first-time retreatants afraid of being ‘inadequately prepared.’ It can also encourage those with more retreat experience, but who might have been so distanced from faith during the pandemic that they are not sure how to reengage.”
A blessing on any retreat, more time to pray can spark insight and connections with profound faith traditions. Retreats also provide a way to find solace for anyone who has been battered by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“People are definitely thrilled to be able to gather together,” says Deacon Scott Gilfillan, who runs the Catholic Conference Center in Hickory. “I see a deep human longing for interpersonal contact that was suppressed for over a year. In May, groups started returning in significant numbers. Every person I talked to said the same: It’s good to be back in the company of other people of faith.”
This special encounter with prayer and liturgy in a retreat’s quieter and usually lovely setting can also be a good way to ease back into parish life.
“People want to reconnect with their faith,” says Benedictine Father Patrick Sheridan, “and do it in a place that’s a little less crowded, a little more calm than their parish.”
Father Sheridan is the guestmaster at St. Andrew’s Abbey Retreat Center in Valyermo, Calif.
Deacon Gilfillan agrees. “I think people are also longing to find a deeper connection with God. Midway through the pandemic, we started promoting private ‘Find Your Center’ retreats. Going from maybe one private retreat a year in the pre-pandemic days, we’re now getting one or two a month.”
The “Find Your Center” retreats have become so popular, he said, that he is refurbishing a 100-year-old farmhouse on the property to better accommodate private, silent retreats, and he is obtaining continuing education in spiritual direction to be able to better serve retreat participants.
What are retreat-goers looking for?
Peace, and the ability to get away from the worries of daily life, say the directors of the Diocese of Charlotte’s two retreat centers.
The ability to go on retreat close to home – either individually or in small groups – has been especially helpful to people during the pandemic, says Deacon William Shaw, who runs Living Waters Catholic Reflection Center in Maggie Valley. With appropriate health measures in place, both centers were able to continue welcoming retreatants and providing a safe and tranquil retreat experience during the pandemic.
“Our approach has been to allay the apprehensions with offerings that supported the words of St. John Paul II – ‘Fear not, it is I’ – as those who came for a day, a weekend or even a week were seeking hope and peace during the absence of interpersonal contacts,” Deacon Shaw says. “Living Waters fits well in the line in the Gospel, ‘Let us come away to a quiet place and be renewed.’”
So, if you think the idea of a retreat sounds pretty good about now, where can you start?
Check out the information at right provided by the diocese’s two retreat centers: the Catholic Conference Center and Living Waters Catholic Reflection Center.
The center in Hickory, located at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, has ample space for large groups but is also a peaceful campus for individual retreats. Nestled amid majestic Smoky Mountain views, Living Waters offers a cozier retreat facility and the soul-satisfying natural beauty of Maggie Valley.
Afraid you’re not “perfect” enough for a retreat?
“The whole point is to relax in the Lord,” says Father Sheridan. “Don’t put a lot of pressure on yourself. Let the Spirit move you. A retreat can be an opening of a different approach to life, a process, rather than a one-off experience. And hopefully, you’ll come back again.”
— Maureen Pratt, Catholic News Service. Catholic News Herald contributed.
Catholic Conference Center
Catholic Conference Center1551 Trinity Lane, Hickory, NC 28602
828-327-7441 www.catholicconference.org
The Catholic Conference Center, located amid the beautiful rolling hills near Baker Mountain State Park, offers a unique site where guests can be renewed and transformed – whether it’s for Sunday brunch, a weekend or overnight retreat, or a week-long conference. With its stunning architecture and expansive grounds, it’s no surprise the center has become a preferred location for religious, civic, school and business groups to have retreats, training, workshops, reunions and receptions. The center features meeting spaces for up to 200 people, state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment and amenities, 50 rooms for overnight stays, fine dining provided by an award-winning chef, and an experienced hospitality staff.
Looking for a place for a group retreat? Weekends into 2022 are already filling up fast, so contact them soon. The “Find Your Center” private retreats are also a popular choice anytime – call the center or go online for details.
Upcoming events include “From Soldier to Saint: A Men’s Retreat” with Father Peter Tremblay Aug. 6-8, a Worldwide Marriage Encounter Aug. 27-29, and a Women’s Walk with Christ Weekend Sept. 24-26.
Living Waters Catholic Reflection Center
Living Waters Catholic Reflection Center103 Living Waters Lane, Maggie Valley, NC 28751
828-926-3833 www.catholicretreat.org
Nestled within the beautiful Smoky Mountains at Maggie Valley, Living Waters is a serene and peaceful location that offers private or group retreats as well as preached, directed, and nature retreats. Guests come to enjoy incredible mountain views all year long to renew their spirits and reconnect with God’s creation. Come drink in the beauty of the mountains and spend time in prayer in the valley. Overnight lodging is provided in the main building, as well as separate lodging for groups or families in the four-bedroom Our Lady of Lourdes Cottage.
Upcoming retreats are “No Lasting City” with Father Ray Williams Aug. 13-15, “Hearing the Call: Women of the Gospels who Encounter Jesus” with Olivia Woodford Aug. 27-29, and “Gospel Portraits” with Michael Coyle Sept. 24-26.