I’m anxious for the week to move along, as I’m attending our Knights of Columbus annual retreat this weekend. Each year Fr. Foster Council 9518 of Ralston, NE hosts a retreat in the middle of winter at the Creighton University Retreat Center in Griswold, IA. The retreat center is a former Boy Scout Camp, and has been enhanced, expanded, and improved for many years under the direction of Fr. David Smith, SJ. The center is owned and operated by the Jesuits of Creighton University, in Omaha, Nebraska.
Our Council believes that the work we do must be grounded in a genuine spirituality. The Knights of Columbus aren’t just do-gooders; they are Catholic gentlemen seeking to serve Christ among us in a variety of ways. Find out more about the Knights of Columbus here.
I’ve attended the retreat for many years, and have always been delighted by the wildlife encountered during the weekend. The main chapel, named after Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, features floor-to-ceiling windows along the south side. I’ve yet to attend Mass there without seeing deer moving through the forest. I’m hoping to encounter some this weeke
nd, too.
Retreats are important for anyone serious about the spiritual life. It’s important for us to tithe some of our time each year to listen to the voice of the Lord, and to draw close to God in a pronounced and unhurried manner.
I remember being in Rome during the Jubilee (Holy) Year 2000 – signs were posted at all the basilicas reminding everyone (in multiple languages) that a pilgrimage is about an interior journey of the heart, not just a physical vacation of the body.
If you haven’t been on a retreat lately, take some time to schedule one right now. It’s a New Year’s Resolution worth keeping. If you’ve never been on a retreat, drop me a line for some suggestions, or contact your diocesan family life office. They can share with you what is available in your area.
Please pray for me this weekend, I’ll be like a deer longing for running water . . .
Deacon Chris 
Nice pre-retreat reflection Chris. The weekend was indeed perfect! tv
I noticed the photo of the Greg on your homepage. I was a student there in 1977-78, and have many fond memories of the professors, students, and the oral exams!
Thanks for the blog. Hope you can update some. If you are interested, check out my blog entitled, “Catholic Faith and Reflections” at http://bob.yerhot.org
Blessings!
Dear Deacon Chris –
First of all, I love the picture of the snow and trees – so pretty. I agree – retreats are so important, especially “silent” retreats. Blessed Mother Teresa said “in the silence of the heart, God speaks.” In this very busy world we live in, it is so difficult hear God’s voice – to even know who we are. I make yearly retreats to St. Joseph’s Abbey in Spencer, Mass. It is a Trappist monastery – a thousand acres of forest, field and stream – the Spirit is all around you. I returned this past Sunday from a “diaconate formation” retreat on the Jersey Shore. It was awesome…
Giod bless you and your ministry.