This Year's Theme is
The 3 R's: Release, Relax, Refill!
Next year's retreat is Mother's Day Weekend, May 8-9, 2009
Our deadline for signing up is midnight April 24th
This year's retreat is going to be fun! We will have a pre-retreat activity at Ave Maria Grotto (3:00) in Cullman, AL (about 2 miles from the Monestary.) This is a grand little contemplative garden with statues made in concrete created by a monk and lots of other little items; marbles, cold cream jars, figurines. The statues are miniature replicas of buildings. Some of the replicas are; Noah's ark, a castle, missions from all over the world, and an entire city scape of Jerusalem! With the plants, trees and fountain, this is a sight to be enjoyed!
Registration is at 6:30. Our Friday evening consists of a pajama party! We have a guest speaker and we munch on comfort food (bring your favorite!) and talk! Although, this sounds like something one might not be interested in, this is our time of healing. We take the opportunity to discuss grief and it's effects on us, we share our stories, we laugh, we cry and we heal! This is probably the most important time of our retreat!
Saturday morning we will have continental breakfast at the convent you are welcome to bring your favorites or let us know and we will provide what we can. We will have Shirley to do massages again this year. There is always time for reading, resting, walking the grounds (all 200 acres!), bring along your handiwork or just sit in the sun and visit! Before lunch we meet in the living room for a short time of discussion. Our morning 'talk' will be about how stress effects our health and how to overcome it's effects. The Center feeds us a wonderful lunch (and we don't even have to cook or wash the dishes!) Later, we meet again in the living room for a another discussion time. After our workshops, we visit, gather our belongings and help the sisters by removing our sheets and blankets. We leave at 3pm.
This is a very relaxed retreat with lots of free time planned in for rest, discussion, reflection, ministry and renewal.
Our Special Mom's retreat is for Mom's with special needs children, caregivers of disabled individuals, Home Schooling moms with special needs children, and anyone who can relate to the moms listed above.
Our ministry includes a home Bible study, home church meetings, Christian counseling, ministry, prayer, retreats, support to those with special situations as caregivers to family members with special needs, and most of all love!
Anyone is welcome! Our Bible study meets on Friday night at 5:30 for dinner. Bring a dish to share and we will fellowship!