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 is the fourth Sunday of Lent, often known as Laetare Sunday, which means "rejoice" in Latin. This week, we are reminded of God's love for us through the actions of his son, Jesus. It is also Harriet Tubman Day, a day to commemorate the bravery and courage of one of America's greatest Abolitionists. She was also a follower of Jesus and is quoted frequently about her trust in God to lead her in her efforts to free approximately 70…
Today is the start of Catholic Sisters Week, a week dedicated to honoring women religious around the world. As a ministry of the Sisters of Bon Secours, we are dedicated to service their mission of being "Good Help to Those in Need" to all that enter our doors and to creating a retreat schedule that honors their work and ministry of providing healing, compassion, and liberation to all people. Please join us in praying for the Sisters of Bon Secours…
The month of March is designated as Women's Month and Friday is International Women's Day. As a ministry of the Sisters of Bon Secours, we remember the first twelve women to become Sisters of Bon Secours 200 years ago. They stepped out in faith to care for people in need in ways that were unheard of and often looked down upon. They trusted in God to lead them in answering the Call to care for the poor, the sick, and…
On the third Sunday of Lent, our journey towards Easter is one of hope and joy. Join us in prayer... Loving Father, So many times I turn away from you and always you welcome me back. Your mercy and love gives me confidence Thank you for the invitation to share, fast and pray so that you can form a new heart within me. Your powerful compassion for my weaknesses leads me to ask for mercy and await with great hope…
Today is World Compliment Day. There is a tremendous amount of research showing that spreading kindness drastically improves quality of life to the person receiving the kindness and the person spreading it. So today, take a few moments to intentionally compliment someone you encounter. Goodness and Kindness Prayer But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal…
We are rounding out our Black History Month series with a list of inventions, patents, and creative solutions that we still use today that were created by Black Americans. This listing is not comprehensive and it includes inventions that solved significant problems and also two that bring tremendous joy! Garrett Morgan - the traffic light to include the yellow "warning light" (1922) Alexander Miles - automatic elevator doors (1887) Mary Van Brittan Brown - home security systems, complete with cameras,…
Today's blog is shared by Mary DeTurris Poust, a regular blog contributor and retreat presenter at the Center. It's a story of encountering the Divine through the Lenten season. Mary will be back at our Center April 12-15 leading the Stillpoint Retreat, which focuses on Psalm 46: Be Still. What does that mean in our ever-busy society? How can we be still when so much is expected of us? Mary will lead us through finding spiritual practices we can utilize each…
To continue our Black History Month Friday series, today we are featuring the life of Bayard Rustin. Mr. Rustin was a key figure in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's. He was born into a Quaker home and grew up in a household of non-violence and civil rights activism. This upbringing lead him to become an adept strategist for the Civil Rights Movement. He worked closely with Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King and was a key organizer and strategist…
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 recently. ...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 the…
Each Friday of February, we are celebrating Black History Month! Today we are sharing about the life and ministry of Sr. Thea Bowman. Sr. Thea was the first black sister of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, an active part of the Civil Rights Movement, a singer, an educator, and an Evangelist. Sr. Thea spoke often about being Black within the Catholic Church and she was prolific in sharing her culture, heritage, customs, and joy with the Church and all…
