|
Long winter shadows reach along Pereira.
Photo credit: Fr. Tom Bracco, S.J.
Two People We Will Miss
Bert Keane, our indefatigable Director of Development, is leaving us to prepare for a new venture in his life. His loyalty to the Retreat Center has been evident for decades as a retreatant, volunteer, and lately as a member of the staff. We have been fortunate to have his services and are especially grateful to him for his work in establishing the “El Retiro Legacy Society,” which honors those who include the Retreat Center in their wills. We are grateful to Bert for the seminal work he has done in this regard, and for all his other contributions.
We also say goodbye to Patty Subick, our Finance and Human Resources person, whose knowledge and dedication have been responsible for a re-organization of our entire financial structure. She joined forces with Paul Dorian, our IT consultant, in re-vamping our record-keeping, and she has been tireless, and generous, in watching over staff, in listening to them, in caring for them. She will now, like Bert, enter into a new phase of her life, and we wish her well.
Everyone who works at the Retreat Center gives us something special: a part of who they are. And we hope they take with them a share in the grace and joy we all experience here in this sacred place.
Godspeed, Bert and Patty!
Brother Lawrence Thoo, S.J.
(9/26/1938 – 2/22/2011)
We are sorry to inform you that Brother Lawrence Thoo, S.J., died on Monday morning, February 21. He had been living at the Sacred Heart Jesuit Center in Los Gatos. Most of you will remember him as the Jesuit who was busy around the Retreat Center as gardener, sacristan, all-around assistant for the weekend retreats, a compassionate listener, and a man of great humor. He had a heart attack the previous week and was thought to be recovering, but God had other ideas. Please remember him in your prayers.
Retreats Coming Up
February
- 18-20 Lord, That I May See!
- Silent Arts Retreat for Men and Women, with a Focus on the Visual
- Fr. Mark Torres, S.J. and Mr. Fabian Debora
Art points, as John the Baptist did, toward the possibilities for our lives. We will consider how the Spirit enlivens us through art and how God's grace, truth and love transform and free us through all our creative encounters.
- 25-27 Don’t Let Anyone Outdo You in Humility!
- Silent Retreat for Men and Women
- Fr. Jerry Hudson, S.J.
If we look at the Latin origin of the word humility, we find that it simply means being grounded. This retreat will utilize the Spiritual Exercises to help us realize that humility before God is being grounded in God and appreciating God’s steadfast love for us.
March
- 9 Lent: A Time of Freedom and Joy
- Non-silent Retreat for Men and Women
Ash Wednesday Day of Prayer
- Fr. Bernie Bush, S.J.
Lent is a time of special grace assisting our growth in union with Christ. God helps us to accept the invitation of Christ to leave whatever hinders us and to follow him. Lent challenges us to find our true joy in Christ alone.
- 11-13 Encountering God in All Seasons
- Silent Retreat for Members of the Legal Profession
- Fr. Rob Scholla, S.J.
The demands of our daily life can rob us of time for reflection and family. In his book, Transforming Practices, Steven Keeva observes that "the inner life is often left underdeveloped in people who live hurriedly, under the weight of constant deadlines and pressures." Life in the legal profession can be challenging, yet the practice of law is a sacred profession. We will strive to cultivate a deeper and more vibrant interior life, prayerfully attending to God's grace energizing our hearts.
- 18-20 Breaking the Ties that Bind
- Silent Retreat for Men, including the
Knights of Columbus
- Fr. Bernie Bush, S.J. and Mr. Michael Cheney
St. Ignatius proposes ways to become free of worldly values and to find happiness in the will of God. This retreat—through prayer and God's grace—will help us to locate and to become free of the ties that bind each of us.
- 25-27 The Saints Are a Lot Like Us
- Silent Retreat for Women
- Fr. Kevin Ballard, S.J. and Sr. Patricia Galli, R.S.M.
The saints can be models for us because they are our sisters and brothers, able to show us how God's grace can aid us in our struggles, sufferings and joys. We will let the lives of some favorite saints illuminate our own.
April
- 8-10 Marriage: Visible Sign of God’s Love
- Silent Retreat for Women
- Fr. Larry Percell and
- Mr. & Mrs. Pat and Nancy McGaraghan
A marriage rooted in faith can draw on the example of Jesus' perfect love. We will explore how spouses can retain their own identities while giving of themselves, growing in freedom as they give themselves in vowed love.
- 15-17 From Shattered dreams to Restored Creation
- Silent Retreat for Men
- Fr. Vu Duc, S.J.
With the Church meditating on Jesus' suffering and death, we contemplate the dream-shattering experiences of Old and New Testaments, discovering that human failures cannot frustrate God's restoration of humanity.
El Retiro’s 2010-2011 Season
The 2010-2011
retreat season calendar is posted on our website,
along with information on each of our retreats and on
each person working on our retreat teams. You’re
invited to stop by the website and
browse around—and
to book another retreat soon!
Donate
ONLINE to
The Jesuit Reteat Center of Los Altos, and please remember
the Jesuit Retreat Center in your will or estate planning. |
