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’.
Happy Mother's Day to all those moms and mother figures who care for so many. We hope that you are being honored in big and small ways, celebrating what you've done for others. For those who have lost their moms, you may be honoring them by making a favorite recipe or planting a favorite flower that she cherished. For those who can connect with these special ladies, maybe you're gathering for lunch or spending time on the phone. Maybe you…
Kevin Cassidy, the Director of the Retreat & Conference Center, shared this reflection in our weekly planning meeting last week. Our staff takes the mission of bringing 'healing hospitality' to heart, so this really resonated with us. We hope that you find this same sense of welcome during your visits to the Center too! Let mutual love continue, and do not forget to offer hospitality to strangers, for by doing this some have entertained angels without knowing it. ~Hebrews 13:1-2…
Tomorrow is our National Day of Prayer, a tradition that began officially in 1952. It is a day when the president is required to sign a proclamation that encourages all Americans to pray. May your prayers today be strengthened, knowing that so many are recognizing this movement and also kneeling, bowing their heads or lifting their hands to heaven as we pray for peace and also offer prayers of gratitude. If you live locally, we encourage you to stop by…
Happy Easter See the land, her Easter keeping, Rises as her Maker rose. Seeds, so long in darkness sleeping, Burst at last from winter snows. Earth with heaven above rejoices; Fields and gardens hail the spring; Shaughs and woodlands ring with voices, While the wild birds build and sing. You, to whom your Maker granted Powers to those sweet birds unknown, Use the craft by God implanted; Use the reason not your own. Here, while heaven and earth rejoices, Each…
As we prepare for tonight's concert with Carrie Newcomer, let's take a few quiet moments to contemplate the encouragement from a popular song, "You Can Do This Hard Thing". We hope that if you're facing struggles today, it will give you the nudge, the encouragement, the faith that you can get through it. We hope that this prayer will also remind you that "you can do all things..." Limited tickets are still available for the 7pm concert. Please call 410-442-3120…
We are so excited to welcome award-winning artist, Carrie Newcomer, along with pianist Gary Walters, back to our Center this week! After two years of rescheduling, due to the pandemic, it will surely be an event that everyone appreciates even more! Her lyrics and sound will inspire and heal our audience during her Chapel concert this Friday. She'll be featuring songs from her new album 'Until Now' and other favorites. If you haven't registered yet, there's still time! Click here.…
Today's post comes from one of our frequent retreat presenters, Fr. Michael Schleupner. Let's read his timely insight about hope from the resurrection and how we can carry it with us today, even as we hear of more devastating news each day. Easter Hope Dear Friends, With the Russian invasion of Ukraine and all the human tragedy happening there, this Easter turns my inner spirit to hope. Easter, the celebration of Christ’s Resurrection, inspires hope in me. I see hope…
Fr. Michael Schleupner shares last Sunday's homily with us today, opening with a little humor in to convey an important lesson from Jesus. Let's take a few quiet moments to meditate on this passage from Scripture today. 5th Sunday in Lent, Cycle C Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area and all the people started coming to him, and he sat down and taught them. Then the scribes…
Now that activities have resumed, are you finding that your calendar feels too full? Are you stressed from feeling pulled into too many directions with endless 'to-do' lists? Today's post offers reflections from the gifted Joyce Rupp that may help you to relish a few quiet moments in contemplation, especially as we approach Holy Week. So, let's sit in a comfortable position, let's breathe in and out, in and out, and pray to be able to hear that still, small…
As we quickly approach Holy Week, we are offering a week of prayers for this 5th week of Lent. We hope that you'll have a few moments to slow down and find quiet time each day to reflect on this phase of your Lenten journey. May these prayers enrich your experience. The Fifth Week of Lent Sunday My loving Lord, it's so hard to love the world sometimes and to love it the way Jesus did seems impossible. Help me…
