Women’s retreat on the Holy Spirit scheduled

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 SALT LAKE CITY — Over the past few years, the St. Ann’s Ladies Guild has sponsored women’s retreats during Advent, but this year the guild is offering an October retreat. The Oct. 19 event will have the theme “The Powerful Presence of the Holy Spirit.” It will include Scripture-based talks, activities, music and prayer focused on understanding the Holy Spirit.

The theme was inspired by a homily given during Pentecost by Father Dominic Sternhagen, pastor of St. Ann Parish, that left one of the retreat organizers, Cecelia Tonna, wanting to learn more about the Holy Spirit, she said.

“People have a hunger in them for staying open to what they believe in, how God, how Christ is working in their lives,” Tonna said. “Jesus promised us that the Spirit was going to be with us always and remind us of all that he had said, and so I think we need to focus on the Spirit without dividing God into parts, that is the presence of the way Christ is at work in our lives.”

People should be sensitive to the “little signs that bring me comfort and remind me that God, that the Spirit, that the presence of Christ is always here in my life,” she said.

Tonna has a master’s degree in religious studies, worked as a spiritual director for eight years and has led many retreats. The gifts of the Holy Spirit will be the focus of her presentation.

Jeanne Lachowski, another speaker, will address the fruits of the Spirit as found in Galatians 5.

“I feel like there is little known about the Holy Spirit,” Lachowski said. “Of the Trinity, we have an image for the Father, an image for the Son, but the Holy Spirit – the Holy Spirit is not a bird. It’s Holy Spirit, not fire; the Holy Spirit is not wind. It’s not easily defined. So we want to emphasize the Holy Spirit and try to understand more about who the Holy Spirit is.”

The third speaker for the day will be Monica Howa-Johnson, a local musician and retreat master who also is director of campus ministry at Judge Memorial Catholic High School.

Those attending the event will be encouraged to meet and interact with others they may not have previously known or spoken to, and after each presentation, they will discuss reflection questions in small groups.

“I think it’s good for women to bond, and women talk to each other in a way they don’t when men are around,” Lachowski said of the retreat. “They have similar problems, being wives, mothers, sisters. I think there an easy bonding.”

All women from across the diocese are invited to attend the retreat.

WHAT: Women’s Retreat  “The Powerful Presence of the Holy Spirit”

WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 19 Check-in and breakfast at 8:30 a.m.  

WHERE: St. Ann Parish cafeteria, 450 East 2100 South, SLC

COST: $25 if registered by Oct. 11; $40 after

A light breakfast and lunch will be provided.

For information call Cecelia Tonna, 707-360-5673 or Jeanne Lachowski, 801-580-2513.