The Province Silent Retreat was held on the weekend of 9th, 10th 11th August at St Joseph’s Baulkham Hills. The theme of this contemplative retreat was ‘In the wilderness responding to the call of the Pierced Heart of Jesus’. The facilitator was Sr Yasuko Taguchi RSCJ from the Province of Japan. Thirty-six retreatants from ANZ Province RSCJ, schools, boards and university colleges gathered on the Friday evening to enjoy a welcome drink and dinner, before entering into the first session on Going out into the Wilderness and then the silence that followed. There were five sessions across the weekend with time in between for personal prayer and reflection.
Sr Yasuko, rscj from Japan, provided summary sheets and pertinent quotes for each session, to aid participants during this prayer time. There was also the opportunity to spend a short while with a Spiritual Companion during these times, if they wished to do so.
On Saturday evening we celebrated the Eucharist in the centre’s main chapel before dinner. Fr Kevin Walsh generously agreed to be our celebrant and created a warm and inclusive environment, tapping into the richness of the retreat’s theme. After our final session on Sunday, we broke the silence and had a joyous and conversation filled lunch. There were warm farewells as participants boarded the bus or departed in their cars to return to homes and families after a significant weekend away.
Christine Hannan
Director of Mission