1. What should I bring?

• Standard toiletries (shampoo, soap, tooth brush, tooth paste)
• Towel
• Pillow and sleeping bag or a sheet and a couple of blankets
• Comfortable casual clothing (including sweatshirt, scarf, wrap, etc as it can be chilly in the meeting room, even in summer)
• Open heart and mind

2. Is there a cost?
Only your time and your willingness to be open to the Holy Spirit. There is no other cost to attend. Food, soft drinks and snacks will be provided. (Any dietary needs/allergies can be accommodated.)


3. What are the sleeping accommodations?
The PEC (Parish Education Center) will be the location for the team and participants sleeping arrangements. The parish provides cots and air mattresses to sleep on.


4. Who presents the weekend?
The weekend is presented, facilitated and hosted by parishioners who previously accepted the invitation to attend a weekend and wanted to share that experience with other parishioners. Men present for men, and women present for women.


5. Who will be there?
Some of the participants on the retreat have heard God's call to take the next step in faith. Others have been invited by friends and are unsure why they are attending. But, all are open to God’s invitation to renew their lives.


6. I’m not really strong or sure of my faith. Do I need to be?
No. The beauty of the weekend is that participants and presenters are all in different stages of their faith journey. The spectrum has varied from deacons and seminarians to non-Catholic parishioners. Your current level of spirituality is inconsequential as long as you are open to the Holy Spirit.


7. How much do I have to share/talk/participate?
As much or as little as you’re comfortable with. There is no mandated level of participation. But as with most experiences in life, you will get out what you put into it. Anything you do choose to share will be kept confidential.


8. Is there a requirement for additional time commitment after attending the weekend?
No. There is no stipulation that if one attends a retreat weekend they are required to participate in presenting the next retreat. This too is voluntary and those who choose not to participate (or delay their participation) are in no way perceived in a negative light.


9. What is the weekend all about?
It's a 33-hour retreat to grow closer to God consisting of faith, fellowship, and food! It is an opportunity to step away from our busy world and be still for a little while, to grow in one's faith in a safe, non-judgmental environment with like men/women, to experience how God has touched others in our parish.  It’s not “preachy” or “churchy”. 


10. Is alcohol allowed or served?
The retreat is a time for spiritual renewal through transformation, information, and formation. It brings together members of the parish to experience Christian community, to celebrate the sacraments, and to be invited to a deeper life of prayer. It is a time free from alcohol.

Rising very early before dawn, He (Jesus) left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed.   ~Mark 1:35


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