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’.
Today's post comes from Jen Murphy, Manager of Retreats & Events here at the Center. Jen is so grateful to be able to work with really amazing retreat presenters, many of whom she can now call friends. Let's read about a lesson gained from a gift that she received from one of these special friends. One of our cherished retreat spiritual directors, Sr. Ann Belmonte, recently gave me a wonderful book called "The Book of Awakening" by Mark Nepo. I've…
Last week, Rev. Stephen Wade served as a spiritual director on our August Directed Retreat. He has been guiding guests during this annual retreat for many years and enjoys his time at the Center each summer. During his downtime at the Center, you can often find him with his camera in hand. He shared these beautiful images with us below. The outdoor photos were taken in the evening and the Chapel photo was taken in the early morning hours. It's…
Today's post comes from Fr. Michael Schleupner. Fr. Mike offers mass regularly at our Center and just finished serving as a spiritual director during our August Directed Retreat. We're so grateful for him! Today he reminds us to keep God's love at the forefront of our lives. Hatred versus Love? Dear Friends, At Jesus’ baptism and again at his Transfiguration, the voice of God from the heavens declares: “This is my beloved Son.” I believe that God speaks these words…
As summer winds down, many are feeling the crunch of a more hectic pace again. The constant news of the continued pandemic is very stressful too. How can we hear God's voice within the noise? Let's take a few quiet moments to be still...to listen. "Be still and know that I am God." ~Psalm 46:10 A Modern 23rd Psalm... The Lord is the shepherd of my thoughts; I shall not want for divine ideas. He makes me rest in the…
Earlier this week, Pope Francis urged everyone to hold the people of Haiti and Afghanistan in prayer. The suffering in these countries right now is difficult to comprehend. When referring to the acts of violence by the Taliban, Pope Francis said, “I join in the unanimous worry about the situation in Afghanistan. I ask you to pray along with me to the God of peace so that the clamor of weapons ends and that solutions can be found around a…
Today's blog is the last in a series from Fr. Michael Schleupner about the Ignatian Examen. Fr. Michael offers his insights about the value of the last step in this incredible prayer practice and another post with concluding thoughts for the series. Fr. Michael will be with us at the Center all week, serving as a spiritual director during our August Directed Retreat. We are praying for blessings on these retreat guests as they set aside this special quiet time…
Sr. Bernie Claps, a Sister of Bon Secours who serves in ministry at the Retreat & Conference Center, recently shared that St. Patrick's Breastplate is one of her favorite prayers. We often only associate it with St. Patrick's Day in March, but it certainly is something that we should carry with us throughout the year. As Sr. Bernie says, "Jesus is always surrounding us with his love and care" and this is a wonderful reminder! May you have a moment…
Amy Kulesa, Director of the Sisters of Bon Secours Associates and frequent retreat presenter here at the Center, shared this beautiful poem with us. Never forget that there is only one you! Among the billions of people on this planet there is only one YOU. There is not another soul on earth who can make the unique contributions that you can. The most wonderful paradox is that the more I choose authenticity-- the truer I am to being myself-- the…
Fr. Michael Schleupner offers his next post in the series about the Ignatian Examen today. Please refer to previous blog posts to learn more and the preceding three steps. Let's spend a few quiet moments learning more about the 'action' phase of the Ignatian Examen. Ignatian Examen Step 4 – Being Contrite Dear Friends, This fourth step of the Examen follows from the third which was 'Looking Back'. In that step, we review the prior day or the day that…
Today's prayer comes from Sr. Bernie Claps, Manager of Spiritual Care and Mission at our Center and also the Sisters of Bon Secours Formation Director. She recently read this during her evening prayer time and she wanted to share it with our community too. May we remember the big things today. Thank you, Sr. Bernie! Keep me, oh God, from all pettiness; let us be large in thought, in word, in deed. Let us be done with fault-finding and leave…
