Retreat Center Retreat Center Retreat Center

Retreat
T h e
Retreat Center
Dedicated to
Our Lady of the Cenacle
5500 St. Mary Street, Metairie, LA 70006
A rc h d i o c e s e
o f
N ew
Center
O r l e a n s
Dedicated to Our Lady of the Cenacle
April 2014
Vol. 1, Issue 1
Welcome from
Dr. Paul Ceasar
Inside This Issue:
INTRODUCTION
G
COMIN
S O ON
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Go to
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to view P ER EVENTS!
RETRE
Upcoming Retreats
To register or for more information, contact Sue Halligan at 504-267-9604
T
AT CEN
April 2-4 Rev. Matt Linn, SJ presents
“Heal Through the Great
Parables of Jesus”
April 11-13 Archbishop Alfred Hughes presents “The Gospel Call to True Happiness”
April 25-27
May 2-4
Rev. Richard Buhler presents “The Risen Christ Encourages Us”
Rev. Donald Blanchard presents “Our Many Thirsts”
May 16-18 Sr. Judy Gomila, MSC presents “Behold Your Mother John 19:26-27”
May 30-June 1
“The Gospel Call to True Happiness”
June 27-29
Rev. Keith Hosey presents “Growing
Spiritually as We Grow Older”
July 11-13 Rev. Donald Blanchard presents
“Our Many Thirsts”
July 24-30 Silent Directed Retreat “Come to the Quiet”
August 1-3 Rev. Simeon Gallagher, OFM, Cap
presents “St. Francis of Assissi:
Themes and Insights for Daily Living”
August 8-10 Rev. Simeon Gallagher, OFM, Cap presents “St. Francis of Assissi:
Themes and Insights for Daily Living”
Rev. Simeon Gallagher, OFM, Cap
presents “St. Francis of Assisi:
Themes and Insights for Daily Living”
August 13-15
Rev. Donald Blanchard presents
“Our Many Thirsts”
August 29-31
June 6-8
June 20-22
Archbishop Alfred Hughes presents
Rev. Simeon Gallagher, OFM, Cap
presents “St. Francis of Assissi:
Themes and Insights for Daily Living”
Sr. Catherine Cahill, OSF, presents
“Being Made Channels of God’s Peace”
Visit retreats.arch-no.org for full schedule and more information.
Archbishop Aymond: “This is God’s
Dream House”.........................................2
Why go on retreat?
By: Father Travis Clark............................3
Are you called to be Retreat Captain?
...................................................................3
Upcoming Retreats.................................4
j
The Archdiocese of New Orleans
Retreat Center Upcoming
Meeting and Events
Join us on the grounds of the
Archdiocese of New Orleans
Retreat Center on Good Friday,
Friday, April 18 for some time of
quiet and peaceful reflection.
Captains Council Meeting:
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Advisory Board Meeting:
Tuesday, May ?? 2014
F
j
irst steps are always special and I feel that our first steps at the Retreat
Center have been special. Those steps are preceded by preparation and
I am grateful to the Cenacle Sisters for laying the foundation for our
ministry. I am also grateful to Archbishop Aymond and his staff who have made
it easier to make this new beginning. Of great significance to me has been the
experienced Cenacle employees. For all of this help and support, I am
most grateful.
The last few months have seen the start of our retreats and meetings with the
Captains Council, Advisory Board, and the Cenacle Affiliates. In February we
enjoyed a wonderful Welcome and Rededication Mass offered by Archbishop
Aymond followed by a delightful reception. All of these events have been
accompanied by the appreciation of so many that the Center is up and running
and continues its tradition of hospitality and serenity. I have been edified by the
many stories that I have heard about how much the Cenacle has impacted the
lives of the retreatants and pray that it will continue to impact old and new
retreatants for many years to come.
For all of these “first steps” I
am convinced that this is the
work of the Lord and I look
forward to the journey ahead
for the Archdiocese of
New Orleans Retreat
Center, Dedicated to Our
Lady of the Cenacle.
5500 St. Mary Street ~ Metairie, Louisiana
Archbishop Aymond:
j
“This is God’s Dream House”
O
n February 22, Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond presided over the
Welcome and Rededication Mass of the Archdiocese of New Orleans Retreat
House, dedicated to Our Lady of the Cenacle. Below is an excerpt of his homily.
Sometimes we hear people say, “I have finally found my dream house.
I have finally built my dream house.” Usually that’s because the house
is quaint, comfortable, warm and hospitable. Or maybe it just has that
perfect family room or some other room that they dream of having.
Retreat Center
This is a dream house... It is God’s house in which he dreams... Where
people come, especially women, to know God. For 55 years women have come to this house, to
this sacred place, hungering for God and his love, seeking greater clarity for God’s dream and his
plan for them and their families, opening their hearts that are sometimes hurt and broken and
confused to be touched by God and to know his compassion...
My sisters and my brothers, to those who come here in prayer and on retreat, so many of you
– perhaps all of us – have been nourished and embraced by God’s dream. We have been drawn
more closely to the heart of Christ, who calls us to take on the heart and mind of the Lord Jesus
Himself.
This retreat house will be known, I suspect in the future, by many names – the Archdiocese of
New Orleans Retreat House – but it will continue to be known and spoken of as the Cenacle
Retreat House or just The Cenacle, all of which is appropriate. The Cenacle, as we know, was that
Upper Room where Mary and the disciples gathered and awaited the coming of the spirit in their
fear. And the spirit came to squelch their fear and to give them new life. This is a cenacle, whether
we call it that or not.
… But what is it really? It’s God dream house where people come and seek God and his dream
for them and where God shares his dream and his love and his compassion and his forgiveness.
For 55 years, this has been a holy place, holy
ground, and you have helped to make it that.
Thank you for being here today as we begin this
new chapter, because it’s still holy ground, it’s
still a sacred place with its arms wide open - the
arms of God.
Yes, this is God’s dream house.
T h e A r c h d i o c e s e o f N e w O r l e a n s R e t r e a t C e n t e r, D e d i c a t e d t o O u r L a d y o f t h e C e n a c l e
Why go on retreat?
By: Father Travis Clark
By definition, a retreat is a withdrawal from normal everyday surroundings, leaving your life behind for a time in
order to think, ponder and meditate on the world and life in general. In the spiritual sense, a retreat is defined
as a series of days passed in solitude and consecrated to practices of spiritual living, in particular to prayer and
penance. This has been the Christian understanding of a retreat since the beginning of the Church and even
follows in the example of Christ himself who went on retreat for forty days in the desert in preparation of his
public ministry following his baptism in the Jordan River. We have also had so many great saints who have both
been devoted to making regular retreats and leading retreats themselves.
The practice of the laity of the Church attending regular retreats and its increased popularity over the last
hundred and fifty years is inspiring. We are blessed in the Archdiocese of New Orleans to have
multiple retreats offered by several retreat houses. We had been blessed to have the Cenacle Sisters operating
the retreat house for many decades. One of its main missions was to offer regular retreats for women. With the
rededication as The Archdiocese of New Orleans Retreat Center, Dedicated to Our Lady of
the Cenacle, this place will continue its mission of offering retreats for women and for others as well. Let us
pray for the success of the Archdiocese Retreat Center and for all who support it and work hard to maintain
it as a place to meditate and contemplate the things of God. May we also join in the great tradition of making
spiritual retreats for ourselves annually if possible, to enrich our own faith and grow closer to God.
“Save the Date”
Louisiana’s own Chef John Folse will prepare a special dinner for The
Archdiocese of New Orleans Retreat Center on July 31st
at Notre Dame Seminary. All proceeds will benefit the Retreat Center.
Are you called to be Retreat Captain?
A Captain is a laywoman who volunteers to share her spiritual marketing skills and gift of encouragement from
her own experience of being on retreat. She shares with others the peace, love and serenity of God that she
came to know at the Retreat Center. Captains are the spiritual and administrative link between the retreatants
and the Ministry Office. The role of a captain is to invite and encourage people who might be interested in going
on a retreat. It includes coordinating, encouraging and motivating others to experience God’s healing love by
making a retreat.
If you feel called to this unique, exciting and rewarding apostolate, we invite you to become a Captain.
If you are interested or have any questions, please contact Susan Halligan, the Retreat Office Manager
at 504-267-5604 or email [email protected]
5500 St. Mary Street, Metairie, LA 70006 ~ (504) 887-1420 ~ retreats.arch-no.org