Importance of Retreats
Our sincere hope is that we’ll be able to have retreats for you at the St Philomena property. Retreats are important for spiritual growth. While retreats at the St Philomena property are not yet a reality, retreats are part of Father Pillari’s ministry for the students and for the faculty at St Martin’s Academy.
Once a month the students have a halfday retreat. It’s largely a time in silence; the Holy Mass is offered by Father Pillari for them at 6:15 in the morning. Then they have their morning chores of milking the cows and so forth before breakfast. Then the Senior students lead the other students while Father is leading the faculty retreat. The Seniors are organized and prepared in advance and have been formed to lead the other students. Their halfday retreat consists of a holy hour, or holy half hour, before the Tabernacle in the chapel, followed by a walking the Way of the Cross in which they take turns carrying a large cross and pray the Stations according to the method of St Alphonsus Liguori. They then break up into groups with a reading given to them by Father; for example from the North American Martyrs on the martyrdom of St Isaac Jogues. The senior leader of each room will share the reading with the six or seven other students and then he’ll lead a discussion both on the life of the saint but also on other aspects of their Catholic life. They’ll have some time in silence to pray out in nature. Then they pray the rosary as they hike back.
The key ingredient is giving people the opportunities and space to help their minds and hearts enter into silence so that God might act powerfully.
The faculty retreat starts with Mass in the morning and then is carried mostly in silence. It involves a holy hour and then there’s a reading from The Soul of the Apostlate, a great classic book that was a favorite of Pope St Pius X. Everyone reads the same section individually and then has a couple of hours of silence that could be taking a walk, or in the chapel for adoration, or reading sacred scripture or spiritual reading sitting by the fire. Father Pillari offers confessions and spiritual direction during that time. At midday, everyone gathers for a meal, which is a talking meal, to give a chance for fellowship at a deeper level.
What really is going on beyond the surface of the activities is how much God works in hearts and souls. It can be astonishing how much a few hours in silence can do.
That’s part of the deep work which is helping them ‘learn how to fish’ versus giving them a fish. Father Pillari is teaching them ways of praying and opening their soul to God – lifelong practices that have a ripple effect on their prayer life and the life of faith that they are called to as Catholic men, whether in leading their families, or perhaps if called, as priests.
In the long game, this is transformative and sanctifying for the Mystical Body of Christ.
Another way that we are preparing to yield fruit for many years to come, is the video retreat program we are supporting for children, called My Path to Heaven.
The book was written about a hundred years ago, but Regina Angelorum Press is developing it now into a video format to provide in simple accessible ways some of the great wisdom of St Ignatius of Loyola. It can help, God willing, not only children, but also many adults, to discern their vocation, and how to say yes to their vocation, cooperate with God’s grace and follow it faithfully to the end.
We’re making good progress, and we confide the project to your prayers and support.