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've mentioned before the wonderful book published by Nature Sacred, Bench Talk: Wisdoms Inspired by Nature, the wonderful collection of reflections from sacred spaces across the country. Nature Sacred installed our labyrinth in 1999 and has lovingly built over 100 green spaces to encourage people to find peace, tranquility, and well-being in the midst of busy lives. Each sacred space has a blank notebook, where visitors can leave their reflections and thoughts. Last year, Nature Sacred created a book sharing some…
Robert and Lori Fontana have been in Christian Marriage Ministry since the early 1990s. Robert contributed today's blog post about the importance of intentionally working on marriages to help them thrive! Marriage Can Be a Foretaste of Heaven…or Hell The Scriptures are clear: Heaven begins this side of heaven. Paul writes, “So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come.” (2 Cor 5:17) John writes, “See what love the…
In celebration and honor of Earth Day, join us in a prayer from Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato Si': All-powerful God, you are present in the whole universe and in the smallest of your creatures. You embrace with your tenderness all that exists. Pour out upon us the power of your love, that we may protect life and beauty. Fill us with peace, that we may live as brothers and sisters, harming no one. O God of the poor, help us…
The Sisters of Bon Secours have many ministries. One of which is the Justice, Peace and Integrity for Creation Ministry, or JPIC. Below is a note from our Director of JPIC, USA, Simone Blanchard about a special month-long scavenger hunt: The JPIC USA Team invites you to celebrate creation with us this spring. Starting on Earth Day and concluding at the end of Laudato Si' week in May, we will slow down to enjoy nature, showing reverent curiosity for the non-human…
Today's blog is from Andrea Springer, one of our regular retreat presenters and blog contributors. Andrea is leading our Embracing Balance retreat Friday, May 3 through Sunday, May 5. If this blog resonates with you then you will love the retreat! Life is a Teeter Totter The image of a teeter totter keeps coming to mind. Fond childhood memories of the up and down, the freedom of the rise and the landing with feet touching the ground. And then, there is…
Today we present thoughts on listening and mindfulness from Jenifer Kirin, a certified life coach who is also a Bon Secours co-worker. This structured post begins with a poem about listening, followed by a discussion, and lastly, information on how to take action by engaging in an event related to the topic. POEM On Listening There is a power in the listening, in getting past the thoughts we want to speak: to share our similar experience, to express compassion and…
I stumbled upon this quote by William Shakespeare and the first place that popped into my head is Bon Secours. You know you are always invited to come enjoy the grounds, right? The earth has music for those who listen. ~ William Shakespeare
This is the beginning of a new day. You have been given this day to use as you will. You can waste it or use it for good. What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever. In its place is something you have left behind. Let it be something good. ~ Dr. Heartsill Wilson
Tomorrow, Monday, April 8, a Total Solar Eclipse will cross North America from Mexico to Canada. Millions of people will spend about 5 minutes witnesses something truly magnificent - the moon completely covering the sun, creating total darkness in the middle of the day. There was a similar eclipse in August on 2017. My husband and I traveled to Jackson Hole, WY to be in the path of totality. When he started planning the trip (years earlier), I thought it…
Today is National Dandelion Day (who knew?!). We found this list of "Life Lessons from a Dandelion" from the Wisconsin State Farmer website. It's full of beautiful reminders for all of us... Advice from a dandelion, written by Jerry Apps Never apologize for being one of the first to celebrate the arrival of spring. Remember that small can be beautiful. Be proud of who you are and what you can do—even though some may despise you. When you are stomped…
