| Monastery
plans retreats
This winter, the Monastery of St. Gertrude in Cottonwood, Idaho offers retreat opportunities for immersion into the three pillars of its mission: Grateful Simplicity, Creative Peacemaking and Healing Hospitality. The retreats take place at Spirit Center, the Monastery’s state-of-the-art retreat facility that overlooks the Camas Prairie and distant mountains. It all begins in January with an invitation to Grateful Simplicity with the “Come to the Quiet” retreats. These are silent, individually-directed experiences with optional faith sharing, creative expression, body prayer and ritual. Retreatants have the opportunity to relax after the holiday season in an atmosphere of natural beauty that supports a simple wonder of life’s gifts while creating clarity necessary for defining future goals. There are two “Come to the Quiet” retreat options: a week-long retreat January 21 – 28 or a weekend-only retreat January 21-23. Then February 11-13, married couples have the opportunity for Creative Peacemaking with “To Have and to Hold.” In this retreat, couples will pray together and celebrate one another, exploring differences, challenges, possibilities and ways in which their relationships serve the larger world. The time includes presentations, reflections, prayer and discussion. The facilitators include Jim and Mary Jayne Minnette, John and Cindy Ulmen, Bill and Louise Stolz and Mary Kay Henry, OSB. Later in February (25-27), the Monastery presents an exploration of Healing Hospitality with “Building the Reign of God,” a retreat that focuses on how to share universal abundance with the hungry. This retreat will be taught by Patrick McCormick, a Professor of Religious Studies at Gonzaga University. He teaches courses in Catholic Social Teaching and has written four books including, A Banqueter’s Guide to the All Night Soup Kitchen of the Kingdom of God. He writes a monthly column on Christianity and Culture for U.S. Catholic. All three retreats take place amidst the peace and winter splendor of the Monastery of St. Gertrude. For more information, visit www.Spirit-Center.org or call 208-962-2000. |
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