About the Activity
In 2023 the Annual Parish Retreat will be held from Friday 6 October until Sunday 8 October at the Bezinningscentrum Emmaus in Helvoirt – near Den Bosch. You can see a video about the venue (in Dutch) here.
The theme is “The Names of Jesus in the Gospel of St. John and Their Meaning for our Spirituality”, and will be led by Fr. Ad van der Helm.
“What does the presence of God mean in our spiritual life? What do the various images we have of Jesus mean to us- the Bread of Life, the Light of the World, the Door, the Good Shepherd, the Resurrection and the Life, Way, Truth and Life, the True Vine.
The retreat will help us through reflection on biblical episodes, to strengthen our own relationship with Jesus.”
A short synopsis of what you may expect:
- The weekend begins on Friday after lunch (3:00 PM) and ends on Sunday after lunch (1:00 PM). It will include Friday evening Mass, daily workshops and discussions, and free time for reflection and relaxation. The weekend concludes with lunch after the celebration of the Holy Eucharist on Sunday morning.
Attendance at group sessions is for you to decide and is not mandatory.
The priests who led the retreat in recent years were:
- 2022: Fr. Ad van der Helm with the theme “A multidimensional reflection on sacraments.”
- 2021: Fr. David K. Tolno with the theme “Fratelli Tutti”, in reference to Fratelli Tutti (All Brothers), the third encyclical of Pope Francis, focused on fraternity and social friendship.
- 2020: Fr. David K. Tolno with the theme “Who do you say I am” (Matthew 16:15, NIV)
- 2019: Fr. Dominic O’Toole, Pastor of the Vienna English Speaking Catholic Community, with the topic “Wanted: Friends and Footwashers”.
Registration for the retreat is now open!
Scroll down below for photos of the venue and testimonials.
Testimonials of Past Parish Retreat Attendees