Men's retreat studies secrets of the Eucharist

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The annual St. Mary's Men's Retreat is held near Bloomington, Idaho. This year, 48 men attended.

By Adam Ringel

Forty-eight men learned the “7 Secrets of the Eucharist” during the 7th Annual St. Mary Men’s Retreat, which ran Aug. 11-13 near Bloomington, Idaho. Men from parishes throughout the Diocese of Salt Lake City, along with men from Malad, Idaho, and Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., participated in this annual retreat, which is a spiritual journey intended to allow men to confront their personal “demons,” sometimes for the first time in their life.

The text for the retreat was “7 Secrets of the Eucharist” by Vinny Flynn, who selected the secrets “that seem most basic and necessary as starting points of discovery” to better understand “the greatest treasure of the Church,” as Pope John Paul II described it.

To commemorate the Aug. 14 anniversary of the martyrdom of St. Maximilian Kolbe, the men at the retreat, along with those at St. Mary Parish, celebrated the Rite of Consecration to the Immaculata; 18 newly consecrated received the miraculous medal ordained by Our Lady.  

Fr. Gustavo Vidal, pastor of St. Mary Parish in West Haven who leads the annual retreats, said that during the retreats he observes transformations in men’s lives that are rarely achieved through any other experience.  

“I am totally overwhelmed by the experience I had this last weekend with all of you guys,” he posted on social media. “It was powerful beyond understanding. I am proud of you and at the same time humbled by your desire to know and love the Lord and our Blessed Mother. It’s a total honor and privilege to be your shepherd, a blessing that has come from the Lord. You guys are awesome.”

To continue the “mountaintop experience” of the retreat and translate it into a lived reality, Fr. Vidal offers monthly gatherings for the men, offering mutual support to apply the principles the men discovered during a retreat.  

The “Flame Keepers” meetings are held every third Sunday of the month at St. Mary Parish. For information about the group, or about the next year’s retreat, which will be held Aug. 10-12, visit www.stmarysutah.org or the St. Mary’s FlameKeepers’ Facebook group.