Retreat

Do you remember the wonderful Parish Retreat we had with Father Richard Shortall SJ back at the end of July and beginning of August?  Around 200 or more parishioners participated in that week.  And now Father Shortall is returning to offer us all a different opportunity to grow in our faith and to share our hopes and dreams for our Parish.

This time you are invited to attend just ONE Session (morning OR evening) and that ONE Session will last 1.5 hours –
either from 10.00am – 11.30am OR from 7.00pm – 8.30pm.
Unlike the Retreat two months ago when you were invited to attend each day,  this is a different experience where any and all of us will  be able to choose ONE session (morning or evening) just on one day (Wednesday to Friday).  We will each join a small group of six-seven people led by a trained helper where we will practice together what Pope Francis and the whole Church are doing right now at the Synod of Bishops meeting in Rome.   It is a chance for us to
SPEAK FROM THE HEART & LISTEN FROM THE HEART
so that together we can discern what the Holy Spirit is asking of us in response to these two simple questions that we will be focusing on:

(1)   What do we do well as a Parish?

(2)   What are MY desires for OUR Parish?

This spiritual exercise begun and ended in prayer is something our Parish Leadership Committee has been praying and thinking about and planning for since our 175^th Parish Anniversary celebrations here in August last year.   Those 175^th Anniversary celebrations were Part One;  our Parish Retreat several months ago was Part Two;  and now with those solid foundations of prayer laid down we are about to begin Part Three:   what the Church calls “the art of spiritual conversation” and Father Richard Shortall is going to help us do this.  We have named this “Speaking From The Heart & Listening From The Heart”.   As we pray and dream about the future of this Parish of Our Lady Star of the Sea which we all love, we want to build on the best and most solid foundations possible in order to be open to what the Holy Spirit has in store for us.   That’s what Father Shortall will help us with.

On Tuesday 22^nd October,  he is going to train our Group Leaders, and then on
Wednesday 23rd October – Thursday 24th October – Friday 25th October
from
10.00am – 11.30am or 7.00pm – 8.30pm (Wednesday & Thursday only)
we will all have the opportunity to take part on our preferred day and time.

ON THE WEEKEND OF 12^th/13^th OCTOBER
(and the following weekend) you will have the opportunity at Mass to sign up.  So just to refresh:   it’s just for ONE session of 1.5 hours on the day/time of your choice.  We want to hear your voice and together ask the Holy Spirit to enable us to truly listen to one another and then to what the Lord is calling us to.