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| Jesuit Family Retreat 2008: Ask in My Name Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania
Since 1983, the Jesuits of the Maryland Province and their associates have been hosting Jesuit Family Retreats in Blue Ridge Summit, PA. These retreats are designed for families who would not otherwise have the means or opportunity to take time away to reflect, relax, play and pray as a family. The families who join us come away from the retreat having grown closer to one another and to God. We also work with the parishes serving these families to help us identify families that would benefit from the retreat and to adapt the retreat to better serve their needs. We hope to help strengthen the families that make retreat to bring the gifts of their renewed faith back to their home parishes. Because of the benefits of making the connection between the retreat and the home parish, we encourage families to apply for the retreat through their parish when possible. We also welcome individual applications from families whose parishes might not be sponsoring families for the retreat. In order to better adapt the retreat to the needs of the families, Weeks 1 and 2 are targeted for the Hispanic families we serve, and Weeks 3 and 4 are targeted for the African and African-American families we serve. However, if availability and scheduling concerns warrant, a family can make the retreat in any of the four weeks. JESUITS JESUITS are members of the Society of Jesus, a Catholic religious order of priests and brothers. The founder of the Jesuits was Saint Ignatius of Loyola, a visionary leader whose profound, life-changing experiences led him to write the Spiritual Exercises. The Exercises offer forms of prayer to bring people to a deeper awareness of their being created, loved and redeemed by God and called to a life of meaning and service through a more personal relationship with Christ. Each year the Jesuit Family Retreats incorporate various elements of the Spiritual Exercises. FAMILY Our program is specifically for FAMILIES. Families who are of different sizes, ages and ethnicities; from various places and backgrounds, are welcome. Though the majority of the retreat will be in English, we can accommodate people for whom Spanish is a first language. Families whose children are all under the age of 3 should consider applying in a future year. RETREAT A RETREAT is a time away from our ordinary lives to devote special attention to God. It is a time to refect, relax and pray. And at Blue Ridge it is also a time to play! It is a time to think about our relationship with God, with family and friends, with work, community and Church. As a Jesuit retreat in the Catholic tradition, the Jesuit Family Retreat includes Catholic Mass, Reconciliation and other times devoted to various types of prayer. We welcome all retreatants from the extended Christian faith community who are willing to participate actively and respectfully in all of the religious dimensions of the retreat as it is animated by the Catholic Christian tradition. General Information and Family Application The Retreat Center in Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania sits on a mountaintop along the Appalachian Trail. Families reside in two large houses with bedrooms that accommodate two or three people. The Center includes:
The nature of the retreat is such that we desire to preserve an atmosphere that allows families to step away from their busy, everyday lives. Retreatants should not bring cell phones, televisions, radios or CD players. This way everyone can enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of Blue Ridge. Children are the responsibility of their parents at all times. Child care for the youngest children on retreat will be provided at various times of the day to allow parents a greater ability to participate in the full range of the retreat experience. All families are asked to pay a modest fee for the cost of food and supplies. Fees are based on total annual family income, and begin at a flat rate. Families are encouraged to apply through their parish if the parish is participating with the Family Retreat Program. Families not associated with a participating parish may download and fill out the application and mail it back to the address in the application. Family Application (pdf to be printed and filled out) Family Application (Spanish)pdf version For inquiries regarding family applications please contact Ana Maria Goonan, Administrative Assistant, at 410-617-5673. Staff Information and Application Each year, the composition of the program’s staff mirrors the wonderful diversity of the families on retreat. A group comprised primarily of lay women and men collaborate with Jesuits and other religious to facilitate discussions, lead prayer, organize games, and accompany the retreatants as they walk through this model of the Spiritual Exercises adapted for families. Recent staff members have ranged from new college graduates, to teachers, to M. Div. and Pastoral Counseling students. We seek generous, creative, energetic, prayerful, and flexible women and men with some experience in retreat ministry, spiritual direction and/or work with families and children. As many of the families are bilingual, this can be an excellent opportunity to hone language skills (proficiency in Spanish, though helpful, is not required). Staff will receive financial compensation for their work. Staff Application (MS Word) For further information, please contact: |
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