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Hope for the Future
Frs. John McGarry and Pat Lee, Provincials of the California Province and the Oregon Province respectively, were here at El Retiro Dec. 28-30, along with their Assistants for Formation, Frs. Chi Ngo and Pat Conroy—and with more than 80 of the young men now in formation in the two provinces.
Everyone in the group enjoyed their days of contemplation and conversation and camaraderie here, and we enjoyed the opportunity to share their enthusiasm and energy. That so many gladly commit their lives to service of the Church in the Society of Jesus is both encouragement and blessing for all of us.
The young men in formation in the California and Oregon Provinces,
with their Provincials and Directors of Formation.
For Exercises Fanatics
You now have a chance to be an official fan of the Jesuit Retreat Center—if
you are on Facebook. We are just beginning to frequent the various social
networking sites available these days and to explore how these might
help us to share, with a broader potential constituency, the good news
of Ignatian spirituality and of El Retiro.
Our new Facebook “page” has
attracted 63 fans to date, and we hope that it will provide
a way both for us to get the word out about our Retreat Center ministry
and for our constituents and friends to be in conversation about the
impact of Ignatian spirituality in their lives.
Visit the El Retiro Page today, and sign on as a fan!
We’ll be sure to let you know when we make the leap onto Twitter.
The view from El Retiro on a brisk December afternoon, just a few days back,
with the Santa Clara Valley at its dramatic best.
Making This Ministry Possible
Our Annual
Appeal, shared with you at Thanksgiving, is ongoing, and we are grateful to be receiving generous gifts, day after day, from our many retreatants and friends. The response has been quite strong to date, giving witness of our constituents’ commitment—even in these difficult economic times—to partnership in the spiritual ministry of El Retiro.
We are able to welcome an economically diverse clientele (which
is culturally diverse, as well), to offer an ever wider range
of Ignatian programs (including retreats and days of prayers,
as well as training for directors of the Spiritual Exercises),
and to continue maintaining and improving the campus and facilities
of this sacred place because of your support. Many thanks!
El Retiro’s central courtyard while it was still surrounded by the covered walk
and before Rossi Chapel had been completed with the addition of sanctuary, sacristies, and stained glass.
Retreats Coming Up
Healthy Start
On the weekend of January 8-10, Fr.
Jerry Hudson, S.J.,
and Sr.
Ingrid Honoré-Lallande, C.S.J. (Carondelet)
will offer a silent retreat, in the Ignatian tradition,
for women.
We will reflect together on the New Year, recognizing in
this time of beginning that we are all ever beginners.
As we enter into 2010, we take this opportunity to commit
ourselves anew to our lives of discipleship.
For more information or to register for the retreat, which
is open to women only, give us a call at 650-948-4491 or
register on-line at Where Do I Begin?
Celebrating the Spirit
Fr.
Joe Fice, S.J., will offer a silent retreat for men
on the weekend of January 15-17.
We will be considering highlights of the Second Vatican
Council, which opened up new vistas in the Church forty
years ago. After experiencing together a difficult decade,
we can take a moment to enjoy again the hope and optimism
and energy that characterized the years of the Council.
For more information or to register for the retreat, which
is open to men only, give us a call at 650-948-4491 or
register on-line at Echoes of Vatican II.
If I Only Had a Heart
On the weekend of January 22-24, Fr.
Kevin Ballard, S.J.,
and Mrs.
Mary Peterson will offer a Recovery retreat, in
the 12-Step tradition of A.A., for women.
As we move into the New Year, we will consider our need
for that serenity that frees our minds and hearts to live
honestly in the moment. We will ask of our Higher Power
the blessing of courage, that we might remain connected
in the fellowship, walking Steps together.
For more information or to register for the retreat, which
is open to women only and is not silent, give us a call
at 650-948-4491 or register on-line at Courage.
Mission Possible
February 5-7, Fr.
Larry Percell, pastor of St. Nicholas,
our local parish, will join Mary
and Mike Romo in offering
a retreat for married couples.
In the Catholic tradition, we celebrate the sacramental
gift that a woman and a man give to each other in Christian
marriage. In this retreat, we will reflect together
on the Grace that couples discover in their years of
learning and choosing to love ever more generously,
ever more deeply.
For more information or to register for the retreat,
which is not silent and is open to couples who have
committed themselves to each other in the sacrament
of Christian marriage, give us a call at 650-948-4491
or register on-line at Marriage: Gift and Call from
God.
Living in the (Lenten) Moment
On Wednesday, February 17, Fr.
Jerry Hudson, S.J.,
and Mrs.
Helen Bunje will offer our annual Ash Wednesday
Day of Prayer.
We will have the opportunity to begin together another
Lenten journey, our yearly time of attending to our
experience that we find ourselves in need of a Redeemer.
We will look ahead to the celebration of Paschal
Mystery in which God, in Christ, loved us to the
end.
For more information or to register for the retreat,
which is open to women and men, give us a call at
650-948-4491 or register on-line at Ashes to
Ashes, Dust to Dust.
Our 2009-2010 Season
The calendar for
our 2009-2010 retreat season is posted on our website,
along with information on each of our retreats and on each
person working on our retreat teams. You’re invited
to stop by the website and
browse around—and to book in another retreat soon!
(You may also download our PDF version of the 2009
~ 2010 calendar.)
Donate
ONLINE to
The Jesuit Reteat Center of Los Altos, and please remember
the Jesuit Retreat Center in your will or estate planning.
Photo credit: Shane Reed (banner
images and Rotunda Christmas tree photo)
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