Myths about maintaining silence at Manresa abound
“THEY JUST AIN’T TRUE!”
The #1 myth about maintaining silence on retreat at Manresa is that it is difficult to do. Wrong, wrong, wrong! Once the retreat begins, even the most talkative men from our parish (no names mentioned!) easily refrain from talking to the guy sitting next to them or passing them in the hallway. As one surprised retreatant stated shortly after his very first retreat, “You’re so busy talking with God you don’t even realize you’re not talking to the other men.” So on a much lighter note, how many of the other top 10 myths about Manresa have you heard before? Are there more?
| Myth #2: The Manresa mascot is the Basenji, which is also known as the African barkless dog. Not true. | |||
| Myth #3: The Manresa drinking water is periodically checked to make sure that it does not come from babbling brooks. Not true. | |||
| Myth #4: Construction workers on St. Mary’s Hall have been forbidden to speak and can only use text messaging on their cell phones. Not true. | |||
| Myth #5: If any of the priests on the Manresa staff had a talking Myna bird as a pet, it would be a major violation. Not true. | |||
| Myth #6: The only snap-crackle-pop you hear at the Manresa breakfast table is when some of the older guys stand up to leave the dining room. Not true. | |||
| Myth #7: With the exception of Sacred Heart chapel, the interiors of all of the buildings at Manresa have been scientifically echo-proofed. So if you do happen to make a noise, at least there’s no echo. Not true. | |||
| Myth #8: Soon after the first retreat at Manresa, the Jesuits had all the whispering pines on the front lawn cut down. Not true. | |||
| Myth #9: For the sake of the silence, the housekeepers at Manresa have been instructed not to get things squeaky clean, “Just get them clean.” Not true. | |||
| Myth #10: The red beans they serve for lunch at Manresa are chemically treated to reduce, um, noise. Not sure. | |||