Welcome to the Bon Secours Retreat & Conference Center’s blog! This blog will extend our retreat ministry by bringing prayers and reflections into your home ‘retreat’. Many of our presenters and staff share their homilies, favorite prayers and reflections through this medium. We encourage you to comment, pass it along to friends or simply take a moment to pray with us. We hope that this will serve as a moment during your day when you can ‘retreat with us’.
A Journey to the Heart Fr. Jim McBurney, OSA will lead A Lenten Journey to the Heart Retreat in March. Here he offers a poem and reflection questions to ponder during our Lenten journeys. Perhaps you are familiar with the following poem from Carmelite Sr. Ruth Burrows. It is a favorite of mine! The words of this poem invite us to some personal reflection. What kind of ‘garden’ are you and I creating for God? What is in your heart?…
"As we look around our world, our country, our communities, and our families, we witness suffering that can seem cruel, perhaps even beyond what humans can be expected to bear. It is in moments like these that God may feel distant, unreachable, maybe even absent. It can cause not only spiritual despair but a doubt so deep that we may begin to question the very foundation of faith that has always shored us up.” — Mary DeTurris Poust When we…
Sherrell Moore-Tucker is a health minister, holistic wellness educator, and the founder of MindBody FAITH (MBF). Sherrell will be providing our upcoming Meditating from the Heart retreat and has blessed us with her insight on Meditating from the Heart. What is Meditating from the Heart? Meditation has seen exponential growth with its evolution into a secular practice in modern times due to the increasing awareness of mental health, mindfulness practices, and technology, including apps like Calm, Abide, Headspace, Insight Timer,…
Set Your Heart on Fire By Gordon Creamer “Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire." ~ St. Catherine of Siena Saints Catherine of Siena, Thèrese of Lisieux, Hildegard of Bingen, and Teresa of Avila are four incredible women of faith who are admired as theological doctors of the Church. Perhaps even moreso, they are revered for the radiance of their wisdom, formidable perseverance, and holy steadfastness in loving God and God’s…
Join us in this transitional moment in our nation’s history as we journey together to listen to songs of freedom past and present. There is a melody inside us that needs to come in this season. Come discover your heart’s freedom song in community. We need each other at this time. Help me, oh God by Renee K. Harrison Help me, oh God, to sing the songs of my heart. In times of injustice and uncertainty, help me not to…
Joanne Cahoon, D.Min. holds a bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies, master’s degree in Religion/Pastoral Ministry, graduate certificates in spiritual direction and in spirituality studies, and a Doctor of Ministry degree from the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, where her specialization was spirituality and practical theology. She has graced us with today's post on Dark & Light - Live All Fully. “To go in the dark with a light is to know the light. To know the dark, go dark,…
We are thrilled to introduce to you a new retreat presenter at Bon Secours. Rev. Sandra Dorsainvil offers a special environment to women who attend her guided retreats, given her cross-cultural lived experiences in several countries in Africa, Europe, and North America. The ministry of presence in noticing, affirming, and honoring God's image in all who attend her retreats is a cornerstone. Here are some testimonials which express sentiments from former retreat participants: "I have participated in Rev. Dorsainvil's Women…
Debra Donnelly-Barton, MA has led pilgrimages, workshops and retreats across the country for several Christian denominations. She has a private practice in Spiritual Direction, which informs all her ministries, emphasizing deep listening with others for whispers of the Spirit. Debra is a seminary trained Spiritual Director with 30 years of experience. Enjoy this poem from Debra Donnelly Barton. EPIPHANY IN WINGS I cannot say what epiphany is other than to notice each day shining with its own revelation-uncovering its own…
The lore surrounding the Magi has fascinated generations of believers and seekers for countless centuries. Couched in the mystique of the Christmas story, the role of these wise astrologers has evolved over time for individuals and communities as their personal meaning and contributions have been explored. Join us on the Epiphany (or “Little Christmas” as it is known) for a mini retreat away from the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. During our gathering together via Zoom, those present…
Enjoy this excerpt as we head into the New Year from Mary DeTurris Poust, a writer, retreat leader, and spiritual director living in the Capital Region. A World of Endless Thresholds By Mary DeTurris Poust We stand on the cusp of a new year, another threshold, which, oddly enough, tends to get us thinking not about where we are standing at that moment but about where we’ve been or where we might be going. Caught between regret and fear, we…
