We honour the priority of our waiting lists. If you must cancel please call early.

Refunds, excluding deposits, are provided only when cancellation notice is received two weeks prior to the date of the event.

Retreats are a time for persons of all walks of life to come away from ordinary daily activities in order to rest, pray and reflect in an atmosphere of silence.

Directed Retreats provide an opportunity for daily one-on-one spiritual direction. Individuals unable to make a longer directed retreat are welcome to come for a shorter period.

Guided Retreats are presented in a group setting by a facilitator(s) who gives daily presentations, offering themes and/or Scripture passages for prayer and reflection. Retreatants come together daily to share the fruits of their prayer and reflection.

Preached Retreats are also presented in a group setting by a director who gives one or two talks a day, suggesting themes and/or Scripture passages for prayer and reflection. Retreatants may have the opportunity to meet individually with the director during the retreat.

Private Retreats may be planned and arranged by the individual, and made with or without one-on-one spiritual direction. Most private retreats at the Centre are arranged during regularly scheduled retreats and according to retreat rates.

Requests for Private Directed Retreats outside of regularly scheduled retreat times should be made at least one month prior and will depend upon the availability of a team member.

2013 RETREAT SCHEDULE

2013

June 2013

June Guided Retreat:
“The Path Through The Beatitudes”
Tue Jun 4, 4 PM – Tue Jun 11, 1 PM
Register by Tue May 21 ** $525
Fr. Monty Williams, SJ

This retreat sees the beatitudes as stepping stones towards a greater intimacy with God. Each beatitude opens a world within one’s life and the gifts and the traps of that world are to be acknowledged and dealt with before the world of the succeeding beatitude can be entered into. Walking through those worlds transforms one into a companion of the Christ more fully present in one’s life. In the evenings of this retreat there is an option of watching a film which focuses on the beatitude of the day.

Monty Williams is a Jesuit priest and teaches spirituality at Regis College, University of Toronto. He is the author of several best-selling books such as Finding God in the Dark and The Gift of Spiritual Intimacy, and is noted for his creative work in spiritual formation not only in Canada and the USA, but also in Asia, Eastern Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.

June Directed Retreat
Tue Jun 4, 4 PM – Tue Jun 11, 1 PM
Register by Tue May 21 ** $495 or $75/day
PSC Team

July 2013

July Guided Retreat :
“Doing Nothing and Doing it Well”
Wed Jul 10, 4 PM – Wed Jul 17, 1 PM
Register by Wed Jun 26 ** $525
Fr. Philip Chircop, SJ

Our life will not bear fruit unless we learn the art of lying fallow. This retreat will focus on the forgotten art of wasting time creatively. The Italians even have a term for this “doing nothing”: il dolce far niente. The sweetness of doing nothing! Isn’t that just as far from the Western and North American hustle and bustle as you can get? We tend to be a culture of overachievers, we make things happen. While rushing along, though, the days seem to get shorter and shorter. If only time would hold still, just a little bit, to let us savor life’s simplest moments. DOING NOTHING AND DOING IT WELL is intended to be a practical guide to slowing down, rest and relaxation. Engaging the coming days will usher us into a world where once again “being” is more compelling than “doing.” In these days of retreat give yourself permission to celebrate creative idleness in all its mesmerizing forms: breathing, praying, playing, laughing, meditating, bathing, listening, waiting, living in the moment, enjoying a nap, watching the sun set over the horizon …

Philip Chircop is a Jesuit priest born on the Mediterranean Island of Malta. He has advanced degrees in Pastoral Theology, Communications and Spirituality. He has worked in high school, university and parish settings. More recently he has been mainly involved in retreat work and spiritual direction.

July Directed Retreat
Wed Jul 10, 4 PM – Wed Jul 17, 1 PM
Register by Wed Jun 26 ** $495 or $75/day
PSC Team

August 2013

August Guided Retreat:
“The Prophets and their Poetry”
Wed Aug 7, 4 PM – Wed Aug 14, 1 PM
Register by Wed Jul 24 ** $525
Sister Rose-Anne Engel, O.S.U.

The focus of this retreat will be to reflect on some of the rich poetic passages in the Prophetic Books of the Bible that bind together the past and the future in an uninterrupted history of Salvation. The picturesque and passionate verses of Isaiah, often dark yet powerful images of Ezekiel and the maker of metaphor and stunning imagination of Jeremiah, become gripping moments of both desperation and inspiration. The prophets speak forcefully for our time. Their message and their poetry are treasured sources for meditation and prayer.

Sr. Rose-Anne is a member of the Ursuline Sisters in Saskatchewan. Her experience includes: Leader of her Congregation, Teacher, Religious Education Consultant, Director of Adult Religious Education, Chancellor for the Catholic Diocese of Calgary, and Chaplain in the Correctional Facilities in Lethbridge. As well Sr. Rose-Anne has served on numerous commissions and boards. Presently she is a member of the Faculty of St. Mary’s University College in the Bachelor of Education and Religion Departments and a frequent guest speaker in a variety of settings in Calgary and in other parts of Canada and the U.S.

August Directed Retreat
Wed Aug 7, 4 PM – Wed Aug 14, 1 PM
Register by Wed Jul 24 ** $495 or $75/day
PSC Team

September 2013

***CANCELLED*** Overnight Retreat:
“Dimensions of Contemplative Living”
Fri. Sep 13, 4 PM – Sat. Sep 14, 4 PM
Register by Tue Sep 3 * $75
Anne Williams

At times it is both necessary and refreshing to step away from our busy lives and step into a quiet, reflective place in which we discover our connections to God, our self, others & nature.

From the writings of Thomas Merton and others, we will explore four dimensions of contemplative living Awakening …. Contemplation …. Compassion …. Unity

Overnight Retreat:
Spirituality of Discipleship: Biblical Reflections on the meaning of discipleship and following Jesus.
Fri. Sep 27, 4 PM – Sat. Sep 28, 4 PM
Register by Fri Sep 13 * $75
Deacon Bill Gervais

Bill Gervais is a diocesan deacon serving as a Pastoral Minister at St. Mary’s Cathedral and has recently retired from his ministry as Director of Pastoral Care at Hotel Dieu Hospital. He has worked in diaconal formation and spiritual direction, lectured in the field of spirituality, and he authors a monthly religion column in the Kingston Whig Standard.

This retreat will build on Jesus’ command to bring the gospel to all nations. It will look at discipleship through the eyes of the evangelist as well as through the witness of modern day disciples, such as the seven French Cistercians who were martyred in Algeria in 1996.

October 2013

October Directed Retreat
Wed Oct 23, 4 PM – Wed Oct 30, 1 PM
Register by Wed Oct 9 ** $495 or $75/day
PSC Team

December 2013

Advent Guided Retreat Weekend:
Fri Dec 6, 7 PM – Sun Dec 8, 1 PM
Register by Fri Nov 22 ** $165

Advent Directed Retreat Weekend:
Fri Dec 6, 7 PM – Sun Dec 8, 1 PM
Register by Fri Nov 22 ** $150
PSC Team