SCB men, women attend November retreat at St. Ben’s
Our 7th annual retreat for our men and women at SCB was held on November 9 - 11, 2004, at the Christian Life Center of St. Joseph Abbey in St. Benedict, LA. The retreat was directed by Rev. Thomas Perrier, O.S.B., who is a Monk there with a very good message about Christian Faith and directions for a Faith growth. The surrounding grounds at the 1200 acre wooded site offer the opportunity for a quiet and peaceful retreat. The St. Benedict Order of Monks are in charge of the seminary. We had 28 persons attending from Destrehan, Norco, St. Rose, LaPlace, Prairieville, Metairie, New Orleans, and Mississippi. Ours is a very diversified group of friends.
SCB PARISHIONERS OFFER COMMENTS
Some of the retreatants would like to take this opportunity to share their retreat experiences...HUMILITY - A BIG BLESSING
This year’s retreat was based on humility. It was so enlightening and helpful to me. Being humble sometimes is difficult. I was given a new prospective and opened my eyes to how important this is. Humility - not a big word, but a big blessing to me. “Thank you Lord.”GRACE-FILLED AND LIFE-GIVING EXPERIENCE
The quiet peace of its country setting,
the magnificence of its Abbey church,
the occasional sight of a monk lost in prayer,
and the deep spiritual insights of the
Benedictine retreat master,
all came together to make our
retreat at St. Ben’s a remarkably
grace-filled and life-giving experience.
LIFETIME JOURNEY
As a young man, my first retreat experience was at St. Ben’s in Covington. At that time we lived in the dorm and had our meals with the priest and monks in the beautiful dining hall. Then after the retreat house was added, [my wife] and I attended the couples retreats a number of times and always came away with a greater love for God and each other. This year once again I was back to attending the retreat as a single man but with an extended family of friends. And once again I came away with a better understanding of what life is about and how I can make it worth while. The peace of Christ is in my heart.IN SILENCE AND ALONE WITH OUR GOD
My experience at the Abbey was very special. It was a time when you can be in silence and be alone with our God. The peacefulness there and the beauty of the place was overwhelming. I would advise anyone to make a retreat at St. Joseph Abbey. This was my 7th retreat.MY RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
This was my third retreat to the Abbey. I can truly say it was wonderful and enjoyable in a refreshing and spiritual atmosphere. To have a few days of silence to devote to my relationship with God was wonderful – and that I needed. The speakers were excellent and Fr. Thomas most inspirational. I truly recommend it to anyone and hope to return again. Peace and Love.NEXT YEAR’S RETREAT
Our next Abbey Retreat will be held November 8 - 10, 2005. Anyone interested in making a silent retreat at the Abbey for three days should contact Clarence and Fay Landeche (764-6678) or Earl and Daisy Rodrigue (764-0632).