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’.
Ginny Novak has been offering spiritual direction during our summer directed retreats for many years. She will be with us this summer for the July 19-25 directed retreat and you can learn more about her by clicking here. Ginny writes, "I read this poem by a favorite poet of mine, and it speaks to me of the time we're in." Beannacht ("Blessing") On the day when the weight deadens on your shoulders and you stumble, may the clay dance to…
In addition to presenting many creative contemplative retreats at our Center, Debra Donnelly-Barton is the Executive Director of the Center for Spiritual Development and she is also a Spiritual Director. Debra introduces an audio meditation below. Thank you for sharing with our community, Debra! In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the…
Jim Devine volunteers in our Chapel to assist with Mass and communion services. We're so grateful for the gift of service that Jim and his wife, Joanna, provide to the Center! Jim offers this reflection for today... I read this a few days ago and wanted to share it with you. It was written by St. Thomas More while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London. It seems very appropriate for our current state of isolation “The Sadness of…
Some of our guests may remember presenter Monica Jordan from her wonderful Mindfulness workshop during last summer's Women's Wellness retreat. She has extensive training in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and she has a passion for sharing how these techniques can help all of use during this difficult time in our lives. In addition to sharing this practical guide from her blog below, Monica is also hosting free mindfulness sessions each week and she invites you to participate! She'll be hosting…
We are honored to host psychologist, author and speaker Dr. Robert J. Wicks this fall. He will be presenting "Simple Care of a Hopeful Heart: Strengthening Your Inner Life In Challenging Times" on Saturday, November 14. Click here to read more about this retreat and Dr. Wicks. When reflecting upon this Lenten season and the pandemic, Dr. Wicks wrote the following to share with our community. THE BIG DETOURS Recently I was on the way home on a route I…
Fr. Michael Schleupner has led several retreats at our Center. He and Fr. Nicholas Amato were to lead our annual Triduum retreat and Holy Week liturgies next month. We're so disappointed to have to cancel it, due to the pandemic. We do look forward to welcoming Fr. Michael back for our August 16-22 Directed Retreat though. If you'd like to learn more about it and more about Fr. Michael, please click here. In the meantime, Fr. Michael wrote this prayer…
Annie Hisle has presented several grief retreats and recently presented at our March 4 Friends Day of Prayer too. Her theme was the poetry of Mary Oliver. The next time Annie will be presenting at our Center will be on December 5 for a grief retreat. You can learn more about the retreat and about Annie by clicking here. While reflecting on the state of our world right now, Annie wrote the following poem. This has been SOME Lent.…
Rev. Stephen Wade has been serving as a spiritual director during one of our summer week-long directed retreats for many years. He looks forward to his time at the Center this August 16-22 and he'll also be speaking at our 2021 Valentine's event. Rev. Stephen offers the following prayer by Pope Francis to the Bon Secours community with hope and thanksgiving. We thought it was very fitting to include as our first post. Pray with us... “Tonight before falling asleep…
