Spirituality

All through the Judeo Christian tradition and in the tradition of many other religious faiths as well, a period of withdrawal from the business of everyday life for the purpose of an intimate encounter with God, has been practised by some.

From the more extreme practice of desert anchorites to the more gentle recommendations of St Benedict, Christians have sought withdrawal and renewal. Since Benedict established his Western or European form of Religious life, Benedictine monasteries have had guest houses attached for those who wished to spend some time apart with God. Other orders established houses for the specific purpose of giving residential retreats.

Before Vatican II it was the common practice for religious communities to have their annual retreats in their own religious houses. After Vatican 2 many religious availed themselves of the freedom offered to choose their own retreats and many religious used the retreat houses of other orders.

If retreat houses and guest houses of monasteries provided a place apart for people in past generations, how much greater is the need for such places now. When flicking and moving images on a screen are the everyday diet of many and when huge decibles of sound and music fill their ears, it is all the more necessary that someone provides the quiet, the sense of presence where people can feel alone and at home with God. For many people, especially those whose lives are busy and stressed for whatever reason, a retreat centre is valued for the quiet, the opportunity to have someone listen with sympathy to their story, and the support felt in a place where prayer is constantly offered.

Today, with the threat of climate change and planetary destruction, many people feel the need to reconnect with the God of Creation and with their own creativity and earthiness. Retreat centres, usually located in scenic places, offer ideal settings for this reconnection.

To minister, in any capacity, in a retreat centre is a privilege. One is constantly struck with admiration and awe at the strength and resilience of the human spirit and at the depth and strength of faith in people. Being able to witness the working of the Holy Spirit in people and to facilitate that in any small way, brings its own grace and sense of fulfillment.

Yet even with this need for places apart, many retreat houses are closing and the causes for such closures are complex, but one notable cause is the ageing of members of religious orders. While there is yet time, is it possible to create a vision of retreat houses in a church in which the laity play a greater part? Religious orders contributed greatly to Catholic education and health care and have devised models for continuing these ministries into the future when their presence is gone from the institutions. Is it possible to create a model for the continuance of the retreat/prayer ministry when religious are no longer physically present? Reimaging and restructuring are part of modern life and retreat centres too must reshape in order to provide for people in a less religious, less structured, but more spirit, faith hungry world.

Several sisters across the Western Province are engaged in spiritual direction/accompaniment, campus ministry and retreat work - as personal spiritual directors, as retreat directors and as members of Retreat Teams - working with individuals, parish groups, busy persons retreat for students, and religious communities. The work of spiritual direction/accompaniment is to support the individual as he/she listens to and responds to the movements of the Holy Spirit in the context of their daily lives. Sisters are also part of Prayer groups, Meditation and Lectio Divina and other forms of methods of praying.

Visit the websites of Star of the Sea, Mullaghmore and Galilee Community

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