Encountering Christ Retreats Q+A
In January, the Abbey Guest Center offered its first Encountering Christ retreat. These silent retreats will be offered consistently throughout the year with weekend retreats for men and weekends for women. These retreats are designed to address the hunger in today’s Catholic for a profound and personal encounter with Jesus Christ. Fr. Paul Sheller, OSB, shares the vision and hope for these new retreats.
Q: What direction is the Guest Center headed?
In monastery discussions, we considered ways the Abbey Guest Center can continue to have a significant impact on the spiritual lives of our guests. The Abbey Guest Center seeks to lead our guests and retreatants to an encounter with Jesus Christ. We do this through our Benedictine spirituality, which focuses on the principles of hospitality, prayer, silence, and community.
Q: What can I expect on these retreats?
Q: How will I interact with the monks?
A monk leads the four conferences, so he will be the primary one guiding you, encouraging you throughout the weekend, and providing spiritual insights for your reflection. You will also join the monastic community for morning and evening prayer and Mass. You will benefit from the prayer and witness of monks who have dedicated their lives to God in the Benedictine tradition. Guests consistently comment that they are most impacted by the beauty of the liturgy and the community’s chanting of the Psalms.
Q: How are these retreats unique?
Q: What makes this experience different than that of other retreat centers?
We are a living and growing monastic community that prays and sanctifies the hours daily. We operate Conception Seminary College, so our work is very much linked to formation in the heart of the Church. At Conception, over the course of time, retreatants can build a relationship with people and a place. Since there are many opportunities for growing this relationship throughout the year and reasons to visit, you may find yourself seeing Conception Abbey as a spiritual home and returning often, bringing friends and family with you.
Q: What feedback have retreatants given?
- “The silence allowed space for reconnecting with the Lord.”
- “I really appreciated the quiet and extended periods of time for prayer.”
- “I felt much more refreshed and ready to live out the Gospel at home. I am also encouraged to read the Bible more.”
- “I’ve been praying the Liturgy of the Hours, but lectio divina was something new to me. It is definitely something I’m going to add to my prayer schedule.”
Visit conceptionabbey.org/guests to view all of our retreat listings and register.
