Women's retreat planned

Friday, May. 20, 2016

OGDEN — St. Mary Parish will host its 2nd Annual Women’s Retreat, “Daughters Of Mary,” June 10-12. It is designed for participants to build a stronger spiritual relationship with God, the Blessed Mother Mary and each other.

The retreat will offer an opportunity to abandon one’s life to God, “who loves us and gave his life for us,” said Father Gustavo Vidal, St. Mary pastor. “The retreat will explore our love and faith in God in a relaxed, camping-style setting away from the everyday tasks of work and family. This will be an opportunity for women to hear God communicating with them through Scripture; Jesus encountering women in the Bible, where he transforms their lives in six different passages.”  

Activities will be based on the Scriptures. Ann O’Donnell, guest presenter, will offer further reflection on the Scripture passages. O’Donnell, a Father Kolbe missionary of the Militia Immaculatae in California, presented last year as well.

The retreat is meant to allow women to grow closer to the Lord, Fr. Vidal said. “If you know the Lord, the rest will be easier; community building brings people together and helps them understand what Christian community life is about. A lot of these women already work in our parish ministries and we have to do something for them in return.”

The women are asked not to bring phones, watches or computers to the retreat because “we want them to experience the community that is being built through bonding, prayer and activities,” Fr. Vidal said. “If they were to return home at night, the experience would be lost.”

Women are encouraged to bring a Bible, rosary beads, writing materials and other personal items.

The retreat will include daily Mass, meditation, confession, nocturnal adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Stations of the Cross, a procession of the Blessed Mother, recitation of the rosary and Divine Mercy chaplet and campfire talks.

“What is said during the retreat is kept confidential,” said Heidi Finch, retreat coordinator. “Fr. Vidal wants us to just forget about the outside world. I’ve only been a member of the Church for three years, so the retreat [last year] was a good way for me to meet people.” 

At last year’s retreat “everybody really bonded,” said Maria Devereux, a St. Mary parishioner. “There were so many emotions and tears shared; it was really spiritual and heartfelt. Fr. Vidal is such a passionate speaker, and Ann O’Donnell was really good, and because people really participated, it allowed us all to bond as women; we knew each other’s stories and could relate to each other as women. Praying the Divine Mercy chaplet in the rose garden was beautiful and the fireside chats were deep and spiritual.” 

Devereux had struggled with adoration of the Blessed Sacrament previously, but “my hour was at 5 a.m.; I made the commitment, read Scriptures and prayed, and it’s something I continued doing. It was amazing. The retreat also offered a lot of soul searching and forgiveness,” she said. 

The women’s families came for Mass on the last day, and it “offered us many blessings; we hadn’t seen them for a few days and we felt as though we had overcome a hurdle or had become a better person,” Devereux said.

What: Women’s Retreat

When: June 10-12

Where: St. Mary Catholic Church, 4050 South 3900 West, West Haven 

Cost: $40/per person

Open to women of any faith, at least 18 years or older. For information, contact Heidi Finch, 801-458-9120, or visit www.stmarysutah.org.