For these new to the expertise of talking to a religious director within the context of an Ignatian retreat, Carol Ann Munro shares about her ministry of religious route at Bellarmine Jesuit Retreat Home in Barrington, IL.
Denise Gorss for Loyola Press: How lengthy have you ever been a religious director?
Carol Ann Munro: I’ve been a religious director for six years.
DG: What ought to retreatants count on when speaking to a religious director on a retreat?
CAM: Retreatants ought to count on {that a} religious director will probably be a listening presence, non-judging, open to questions, considerations, fears.
I liken a religious director to a information who has some expertise at climbing the mountain you want to climb and is there for the aim of becoming a member of you in your expertise of climbing that mountain—somebody with some expertise who walks with you, climbs with you, typically guides you, however doesn’t do the climbing for you nor dictates the way you’re to do it.
DG: Why speak to a religious director?
CAM: Relationships are exhausting, even relationships with God—at instances, possibly particularly relationships with God. It’s useful to speak with another person anytime we start to marvel about our relationship with God. It could be that one thing has occurred in our life—tragedy, loss, disappointment, confusion—and we marvel the place God has been. It is also that we’re working towards our religion as we have been taught, going to church often, praying constantly, studying devotional materials, doing all the suitable issues however not feeling something, and we query our relationship with God. No one’s excellent, however typically we’ve finished issues we’re certain that God have to be indignant about; we’re satisfied that God can’t presumably love us anymore, and we marvel the way to really feel that love once more.
Any time that we query whether or not God loves us, the way to be extra devoted, the way to make a troublesome choice consistent with God’s will, or the way to develop to be the individual we really feel God desires us to be, a religious director is an effective individual to see.
DG: What makes the expertise of retreats at Bellarmine Jesuit Retreat Home particular?
CAM: Actually, one of many main presents of a retreat at Bellarmine is the sacred silence. We have now so few alternatives in our tradition and our busy lives for silence, and it’s so important to with the ability to hear God’s most intimate sharing with us.
The great thing about the grounds affords one the chance to expertise God’s in depth love in creation: to see deer come out of the comb and bees and butterflies hovering over meadows of wildflowers, to have devices of prayer—statues of Jesus and Mary, a crucifix, Stations of the Cross, labyrinth—all open air, part of the great thing about the grounds.
The hospitality of the workers and the standard of programming each display the worth that’s positioned on the retreatants and the significance of their religious development.
DG: What do you want folks knew about occurring retreat?
CAM: It quantities to taking your soul to a spa.
All for retreat alternatives at Bellarmine Jesuit Retreat Home close to Chicago? Browse the schedule of weekend retreats and days of reflection, together with retreats with Loyola Press authors Vinita Hampton Wright and Becky Eldredge.
