SCB men flock to July retreat at Manresa
| Some of the spiritually refreshed men from our parish paused for a quick photo before heading home from the Group #29 retreat at Manresa in July. | |||
Father Schott leads Spiritual Exercises
28 men from our parish - including five first-timers - went on retreat at Manresa from July 19-22 with approximately 75 other men from the areas of Natchez, Napoleonville, and Pierre Part.
The retreat, which as always was based upon the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, included 11 lectures presented by retreat master Father Paul Schott. Father Schott's down-to-earth conversational style, from within all the respect and glory of Christ, provided a great foundation for the retreat. Father Schott appropriately framed each of his lectures in the form of a question, and challenged each retreatant to later write down his own answer in private, after reflecting on it with the grace of God. (For a brief summary of Father Schott's questions, see page 2.) During the Retreat, the men also participated in the celebration of the Eucharist, Benediction, Way of the Cross, Rosary, and joined together for morning and evening prayers. The choir, which included talented men from each parish, sparkled at Masses with memorable melodies and beautiful harmonies despite a first-time ban on practice, for the sake of the silence, and were nicely accompanied by two excellent musicians playing acoustic guitars. Additional time was spent as each man wished: walking the magnificent grounds, consulting with the priests, reading in the library, visiting the Blessed Sacrament, and resting. 