THE BLOG OF THE BON SECOURS RETREAT & CONFERENCE CENTER
Retreat with Us
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’.
We are continuing our series for Women's History Month and International Women's Day today. Let's learn more about the incredible achievements of Dr. Rebecca Cole and meditate on the creative words of Sarojini Naidu. Rebecca Cole graduated from medical school and became a physician in 1867. She was not only a pioneer for becoming a doctor as an African American woman at that time, but also a public health advocate and hygiene reformer in the US. An evidence-based researcher, she…
The Global Sisters Report has been featuring news directly from sisters who are in Ukraine. These first-hand reports offer a new dimension of the reality that everyone in this war-stricken area is facing. Click here to read a recent post. We've included the video below from the same report, taken during the pilgrimage that they reference. Our hearts are heavy, yearning to do more for those suffering. Please pray with us. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give…
Fr. Michael Schleupner, one of our frequent retreat presenters and spiritual directors, offers an "Inbox Inspiration" on our blog today. Let's read about this practical story and the poignant lessons from Scripture that he shared last week. ...And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’” ~ Luke 4:12 (taken from reading Luke 4:1-13) Temptation There is a story about a man who, let’s just say, had put on a few extra pounds. At…
Our series for National Women's History month and International Women's Day continues today. It is also Catholic Sisters Week, so who better to celebrate than our own Sisters of Bon Secours! Are you familiar with this community of women religious that sponsors our Retreat & Conference Center ministry? If not, you're missing out! The Sisters of Bon Secours have a rich history that began with 12 brave women in 1824, after the French Revolution in Paris. These brave women served…
Our hearts are heavy with the news that's released daily about the war in Ukraine. During a staff meeting last week, our Guest Services Manager, Rose Kurtz, offered this prayer that she discovered. Maybe you have recently lifted up a similar prayer? Will you join us in prayer too? Prayer for peace in Ukraine Holy and Gracious God We pray for the people of Ukraine and the people of Russia; for their countries and their leaders. We pray for all…
On this first Sunday of Lent, you may have already decided to adopt some form of fasting into the sacred season. Are you abstaining from meat? Only eating a light meal? Taking a break from the news? What does this mean to you? Are you substituting this time with something positive within your Lenten journey? Author Mary DeTurris Poust included a chapter on fasting within her book Cravings and it ends with this prayerful meditation. What does it mean to…
March is nationally recognized as Women's History Month and next Tuesday is International Women's Day. We'll be celebrating by highlighting a weekly series of women's poetry and a short, little-known fact about a pioneering woman from our history. This series will appear each Friday in March. Comment and let us know which are your favorites poems, or share a new poem with us! Today's fun fact highlights Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962) and the poems were written by the infamous Emily Dickinson…
Who We Really Are May our eyes remain open even in the face of tragedy. May we not become disheartened. May we find in the dissolution of our apathy and denial, the cup of the broken heart. May we discover the gift of the fire burning in the inner chamber of our being — burning great and bright enough to transform any poison. May we offer the power of our sorrow to the service of something greater than ourselves. May…
The people of Ukraine are on our minds today. It's difficult to grasp what they must be going through, what they must be feeling. It's easy to feel helpless from across the globe, but we can all help by praying. Pope Francis said, “I invite everyone to make March 2, Ash Wednesday, a day of fasting for peace. I encourage believers in a special way to devote themselves intensely to prayer and fasting on that day. May the Queen of…
Fr. Michael Schleupner shared the homily below last week and we think our readers will also enjoy his insights. How does it shed light on this passage from Luke for you? And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: “Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you that hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you that weep now, for you shall laugh. Blessed are you when men hate…
