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Retreats for Young Adults

PROGRAMS:  2007 - 2008

Click below for specific programs
Weekend Programs       Week  Long Programs       Summer Programs     Day Programs      Evening Programs    Outreach
 

WEEKEND PROGRAMS
 

October 30- November 1, 2009
 Journey into God's Heart with Watercolor
with
Kim Le Nguyen

     We are on several journeys at the same time, spiritual, professional, relational, etc.  We all need tools for the journey.  This weekend, participants will receive watercolor techniques and have plenty of opportunities to practice using them to compose images of each journey.  Participants will also have time to process the "journey" with the other members of the group as well as an opportunity to share one-on-one time with the presenter.  The only requirement is to be present to self, to one another and to the Ultimate Creator of all.

*A list of needed supplies will be provided at the time of registration.

Cost:  $165.00                                          
Arrival:  6:30 PM / Friday                             Departure:  1:00 PM / Sunday

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November 13-15, 2009
Conversion and Transformation:
Ways of Encountering Christ
I count everything as loss because of
the surpassing value knowing Christ.   (Phil. 3:8)
with
Fr. Daniel O'Connell

     Over the span of our lives we have many encounters with the Risen Lord, which lead us to changes that can spur on spiritual growth.  When we grow in His Spirit, we are involved in an ongoing process of conversion that leads us closer to Him and aids our participation of His mission.  We will focus on the ways we are invited to listen to the Voice of God.  Participants will be given a prayer schedule that will help them prepare for a deeper awareness of the presence of God.  The various prayer exercises are centered on the reality of Christ's Spirit in us.  We will appreciate what it means to grow into, as St. Paul puts it, "the full stature of Christ."  Our attitudes begin to change and the ways in which we view ourselves, each other and our world are transformed.

Cost: $145.00
Arrival: 6:30 PM / Friday                             Departure:  1:00PM / Sunday

 

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NOVEMBER 27-29, 2009
Weaving a Spirituality of Wholeness and Hope
with
Helene Cote, p.m.

     Weaving is the textile art in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads, called the warp (the vertical threads) and weft (the horizontal threads), are interfaced with each other to form a fabric or cloth.  Weaving is also described as a procedure for "uniting into a coherent whole."  Any experienced weaver knows that this is a process that takes time and patience and that it cannot be hurried.
     The art of weaving is also often used as both a  metaphor and a means for describing the process of creating the unique fabric of the Self.  During this weekend, we will revisit some of the basic skills and "threads of life" needed to weave a Self and spirituality that is truly wholesome, real and filled with a profound sense of hope.

Cost: $145.00
Arrival: 6:30 PM/ Friday                                  Departure: 1:00 PM/ Sunday

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DECEMBER 4-6, 2009
23rd Annual Rivier Retreat
The Eucharist: A Path to Holiness
with
Marie May Lausier,p.m. and
a Team of Rivier Associates

     The Eucharist must become a program of life.  Everyday, we must start afresh from Christ.  This Eucharistic path to holiness, which Pope John Paul II outlined for the Church, will enlighten our Advent reflections.  We will refresh our memories on the Eucharist as: Presence, Transformation and Mission to clarify what the Eucharist calls us to live.  We will consider how to maintain, develop and manifest in our lives the same holiness we receive from Christ in communion.  Only when we recognize the rich network of connections between the Eucharist and the everydayness of our life, can our life become Eucharistic, and a path to holiness.  And, like Mary, with Jesus-made-Eucharist for us, we become what we are meant to be: God's work of art.  There is no finer vocation this!
     The effect of the Eucharist is to "change us into what we receive."                                                                                                              (Pope Leo the Great)

* For members of Rivier's Family.

Cost: $145.00
Arrival: 6:30 PM / Friday                             Departure: 1:00 PM / Sunday

 

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DECEMBER  11-13, 2009
Young Adults’ Advent Retreat:
Keeping Our Eyes Fixed on Jesus
with
William Brown, OMV
David Nicgorski, OMV

     From the very first moment we were born, there was and is a need for us to be connected to others.  For most people those persons were our parents, particularly our mothers.  They were the ones who provided us with stability, security and reliability.
     As we mature, we develop attachments to other people and things; some are healthy while others are unhealthy and disordered.  The disordered attachments give us the wrong impression that we can depend upon them for our happiness and security.  They take the place of God and keep us from keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus (Heb. 12:2) who is the ultimate source of our happiness and peace.
     In preparation for Christmas, this Advent retreat for young adults in their 20's and 30's will provide an opportunity to discover how the disordered attachments in our lives keep us from ordering our life to Christ and experience the freedom He desires for us.

Cost: $145.00
Arrival:  6:30 PM / Friday                             Departure:  1:00 PM / Sunday

 

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DECEMBER 18-20, 2009
The Nonviolent Jesus:
His Nonviolent Way in a Violent World
with
Fr. Emmanuel Charles McCarthy

            Original Christianity, for about 300 years after the life of Christ, forbade the use of violence and enmity.  The Church’s near abandonment of this Way of Christian life marked a visible, revolutionary alteration of the church and a betrayal of the truth as revealed by Jesus. In this workshop, Fr. McCarthy shows just why this is a betrayal of His teachings, historically, spiritually and religiously and how this has blinded us to salvation’s path.  He also shows how a return to the authentic teachings is the duty and the privilege of the Christian.

Cost:  $155.00
Arrival:  6:30 PM / Friday                            Departure:  1:00 PM / Sunday

 

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MARCH 5 - 7, 2010
In His Image:
A Journey with St. Teresa of Avila
and St. John of the Cross
with
Fr. William Jarema

            St. John of the Cross invites us into a dynamic journey and teaches us how to adventure the Pathways and Prayerways up the mountain to the Ascent of Love.  During these spiritual awakenings, St. John reveals how an intimate relationship with God can be borne from human suffering and transformed into redemptive suffering.  We will then explore the Seven Dwelling Places of St. Teresa of Avila.  Each dwelling place offers the spiritual pilgrim opportunities for conversion, radical encounters with transforming grace and mystical experiences that will lift us into a heavenly language and divine knowledge of God’s presence in our life.  This retreat is not for the faint hearted or beginners.  Intensive prayer, humble self-disclosure and a readiness to meet God’s unpredictable ways are included in this opportunity for inner exploration and the quest for holiness

Cost:  $180.00
Arrival:  6:30 PM / Friday                         Departure:  1:00 PM  / Sunday

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MARCH 12– 14, 2010
A Journey Toward Forgiveness
What do you have to let go of
to become a more forgiving person? 
with
Aline Plante, p.m.

            During this weekend, we will explore forgiveness as resurrection and life and choose to forgive as the way to free our hearts and minds from fear, anger, resentment, suffering and pain.  We shall look at our model, Jesus, and see how His pedagogy centered on healing and forgiving.  There will be a viewing of a documentary DVD on The Power of Forgiveness as a focus for reflection and sharing.  We will have prayer rituals as well as quiet personal time for prayer.

Cost: $145.00
Arrival:  6:30 PM / Friday                             Departure:  1:00 PM / Sunday


 

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MARCH 19-21,2010
Walking in the Bright Darkness of Faith
Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus (Heb.12:2)
Susan Frederick, p.m.
Sylvia Genesse, p.m.

     The victory of faith requires a daily search for truth, and an availability to God in whatever happens.  The struggle of faith is faced day by day in the midst of routine, business and fatigue.  How can we keep the lamp of faith lit, find consolation and hope in the scriptures?  How can we grow in our faith and believe that “nothing is impossible to God”?
     Jesus praises the faith of those who come to Him in the Gospel, believing in His presence and power.  What do these Gospel people tell us today about our own faith journey?  The retreat will allow time to listen, ponder, reflect and respond to Gospel passages.

Cost: $145.00
Arrival:  6:30 PM / Friday                             Departure:  1:00 PM / Sunday


 

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MARCH 26 – 28, 2010
Palm Sunday Young Adults Retreat:
By His Wounds We Are Healed  (Is. 53:5)
with
William Brown, OMV
David Nicgorski, OMV

     In Richard Rohr’s series, On Transformation, he notes that what is not transformed is transmitted.  Unless we transform the pains and sufferings in our lives, we are bound to transmit them onto others.  In order to be transformed, however, we have to be willing to face and deal with the pains and their root causes.  Presenting them to Christ, by whose wounds we are healed, (Is. 53:5) is the key to experiencing the healing God desires for us.  In preparation for Easter, this Lenten retreat for young adults in their 20’s and 30’s provides an opportunity to discover how the sufferings we have experienced in life can be the means by which we are transformed by God’s grace, and helps us to be empathetic instead of reactive in our relationships with others.

Cost:  $145.00
Arrival:  6:30 PM / Friday                            Departure:  1:00 PM / Sunday
 

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APRIL 16 – 18, 2010
Life Transitions:  A Call to the Soul
with
Helene Cote, p.m.

       Most people think of “call” or “calling” in a vocational sense, as in “What is the special thing I am supposed to be doing?”  In her book, The Call to the Soul, Marjorie Bankson breaks open the concept of “call” by examining the stories of Esther and Gideon and by exploring the process of answering life’s deepest questions which come at different stages of life.  This weekend is open to anyone who desires to find spiritual meaning and greater clarity to life’s journey, especially in times of transition.

Cost:  $145.00                                                     
Arrival:  6:30 PM / Friday                            Departure:  1:00 PM / Sunday
 

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APRIL 30 – MAY 2, 2010
Faithful to Each Other for Ever
with
Fr. Marc Montminy

       To live out the sacrament of marriage in our culture is both a privilege as well as hard work.  Marriage is not something that automatically happens when the vows are recited and the rings are blessed.  The Mystery of the Sacrament of Matrimony comes to light only as couples dare to explore and live out their love, mindful that God is sanctifying and redeeming this sacred bond.

Cost: $ 145.00                                           
Arrival:  6:30 PM / Friday                            Departure:  1:00 PM / Sunday
 

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MAY 21 – 23, 2010
Praying with Hearts and Hands
While the mind and body are toiling,
the heart can also be at its own work. – (Blessed Marie Rivier)
with
Connie Bartelson
Marylee Johnson
Beverly Libby

      Join the Holy Knitters Prayer Shawl Ministry as we joyfully share in the care of God’s people by using the gifts of our hands to knit or crochet sacred prayer shawls.  Our prayers and blessings are woven into the shawls as our hands work to fashion them. Shawls are then given to people for comfort, healing or in celebration.  Whether you will be making your first shawl or you are a seasoned prayer shawl disciple, you will experience helpful assistance and new ideas in a beautiful and prayerful setting.

*Basic knitting or crocheting skills are a prerequisite for this retreat. 
*A list of required materials will be sent upon registration.

Cost: $145.00               
Arrival:  6:30 PM / Friday                        Departure:  1:00 PM / Sunday

 

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WEEK LONG RETREATS
FOR WOMEN RELIGIOUS

FEBRUARY 14 – 21, 2010
With What Great Love You Have Loved Us
with
Brother Michael Laratonda, fms

       This retreat will explore the passionate love God has for each of us and the passionate love for God that we are invited to have nurtured within us.  Each day will include morning prayer and a daily conference.  Conferences will include obstacles to prayer, blocks to freedom, God’s passionate love, passion for God, mystery of suffering, forgiveness, and the compassionate life.

       Brother Michael’s retreat work often uses the arts (film, poetry, etc.) to exemplify particular themes which help to deepen the spiritual journey.

Cost:  $ 475.00
Arrival:   3:00 pm / Sunday                     Departure: Sunday after breakfast

(Registrations can be made after January 1st)
 

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FEBRUARY 21 – 28, 2010
Fire Is Your Word Oh Lord!
Letting The Word Inflame our Hearts
Every Day of Our Lives.
with
Fr. Salvador Gonzalez, omi

The word of God is a fire that inflames and transforms everything and everyone that it comes in contact with.  In the Old Testament, through the voice of the prophets the Word reaches all of humanity; in the New Testament the Word becomes flesh in Jesus Christ, the Son who brings forth a relationship with humanity.  Through our consecration we too incarnate a specific Word that gives life to the world.

Cost:  $ 475.00
Arrival: 3:00 PM / Sunday                      Departure: Sunday after breakfast

NOTE:  The two preached retreats above are the annual retreats for the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary.  Once the sisters of the Community have registered, they will be open to Sisters of other Religious Congregations.

Registrations can be made after January 1^st.

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WEEK LONG RETREATS
FOR LAY AND WOMEN RELIGIOUS
 

JUNE 12– 18, 2010
Transformative Aging: 
The Journey to Emmaus
with
Ann Billard, OLM, Ph.D.

       Emmaus is an inner space, an experience, and a place.  As the disciples journeyed on their way to Emmaus grieving their loss of Jesus and the hopes and dreams that He offered them, they were awakened to a new freedom.  This retreat invites older adults to enter into the journey to Emmaus.  This experiential guided retreat will provide tools to facilitate healing from life’s losses and broken dreams.  The retreat journey, like that of the disciples, can provide a renewed hope for the journey forward.

Cost: $475.00
Arrival:  3:00 PM /  Saturday                Departure:  Friday after breakfast

 

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JUNE 26 – JULY 3, 2010
The Evangelical Call: 
Invitation to Witness to Holiness
with
John Malich, FMS

      This guided retreat will invite us to reflect on our call to evangelical life, and to holiness.  Our fast-paced society seems so in need of balance and perspective.  We need to examine our lives, personally, communally and in ministry to see what wisdom we live by and if we bring that gift to one another and our world.
     During these days of retreat, there will be one conference a day with options for personal prayer.  The days will be blessed with silence and the gift of nature, where sea and sky speak to us of peace and hope and wonder.  The facilitator will be available for personal conferences.

Cost:  $ 475.00         
Arrival:  3:00 PM / Saturday         Departure:  Saturday after breakfast

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       Spiritual deliverance and spiritual development happen in the desert.  To follow in the footsteps of God’s Chosen People, or the footsteps of the great prophet, Elijah, or the footsteps of the last prophet, John the Baptist… indeed following in the footsteps of Jesus, means each of us must trod through the desert.  Understanding why God chose the desert as the theater of deliverance and spiritual development is a meditation essential to every pilgrim.

Cost:  $ 475.00
Arrival:  3:00 PM / Saturday         Departure:  Saturday after breakfast

Cost:  $405.00 / Private
          $475.00 / Directed

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Women's silent, private and directed retreats are available during the Week Long Retreats.

 

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SUMMER RETREATS  2010

*Arrival: Saturday at 3:00 PM.
Departure: Saturday after breakfast
 

Women’s Silent, Private and Directed Retreats

                                  July    3  - July 10
                                  July   24 -  July 31
                                  July   31 -  Aug.  7

Cost: $405.00 / Private                                               $475.00 / Directed

 

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Women's Silent Guided Retreats:
June 12-18

"Transformative Aging: The Journey to Emmaus"
 

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Women's Silent, Guided, Private & Directed Retreat
June 26 - July 3

"The Evangelical Call:
Invitation to Witness to Holiness"

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August 21 - 28
"Desert Spirituality:
Topographical Maps for Religious Pilgrims"


(Please see above for description of the guided retreat)

Cost:   Guided Retreat:   $475.00
           Private Retreat:   $405.00                          
           Directed Retreat: $475.00
 

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Men's Silent, Private & Directed Retreats

July 10-17

Cost:   $405.00 / Private                                            
           $475.00 / Directed

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Women Religious’ Vacation Weeks

 AUGUST 7– 14
 AUGUST 14-21

  Cost:   $405.00

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 ~ Please call the Center for specific program information ~

A "Spiritual Stimulus " Package on Prayer
with
Aline Plante, p.m.

10:00 AM- 2:30 PM

Everywhere we turn we hear about the economy and the stimulus package.  God has a tremendous "spiritual stimulus" pkg. for all of us in HIS WORD .  He calls us to come apart for some quiet time of prayer and reflection to DISCOVER  Jesus Christ at a deeper level, CREATE new purpose and meaning in our life, JOLT us out of the recession of our heart, and STIMULATE and ENERGIZE our soul.

OCTOBER  15,2009   Making Prayer a part of your life.
The problem isn't usually that God is not speaking; it's that we are not  listening. Be still and know that I am God. Ps. 46:10

DECEMBER 3, 2009      Watching and waiting in prayer.
Is Advent outmoded, or irrelevant today?  God still comes!  We watch and wait as our souls cry out for silence and stillness.  Wait for the Lord, take courage, be stouthearted, wait for the Lord!  Ps 27:14

MARCH 25, 2010     Praying with Scripture,  (Lectio Divina, Part I.)
"I would like in particular to recall and recommend the ancient tradition of Lectio Divina.  The diligent reading of Sacred Scripture accompanied by prayer, brings about that intimate dialogue in which the person reading hears God who is speaking, and in praying, responds to Him with trusting openness of heart."  Pope Benedict XVI.

APRIL 22, 2010     Praying with Scripture   (Lection Divina, Part II)
God is always at home; it is we who have gone out for a walk. (Meister Eckhart)  In Lectio Divina, we come home.

MAY 13, 2010     Imagination and Contemplation in Prayer.
A reflective prayer experience that is a good way to focus, calm the spirit and remove distractions.  It can be remarkably restful and restorative and helps us to live the life of holiness God intended for us.

Cost:
$20.00 includes hot meal.       $12.00 bring bag lunch.
Bring bible
Register 7 days prior by calling 207- 284-5671.
Insufficient # of registrations will result in cancellation of program.

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Women Come Gather in Faith
with
Sylvia Genesse, p.m. 

This monthly program is for women who desire time and space to grow in their relationship with God.  Following the presentation of a woman in Scripture or the  Church, quiet time is offered with directives to ponder God's word in personal prayer.  The participants are enriched as they come together to share insights gleaned from their prayer experience.
               
This program is held the 1st Wednesday of the month
from 10:30 AM - 2:30 PM on the following days:

                                   2009                           2010 
             October     7th                February  3rd           May    5th
             November  4th                March      3rd           June   2nd
             December  2nd               April        7th   

Cost: $10.00                                                       Bring Bible and bag lunch
To register, please call (207) 284-5671
 

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September 26, 2009  ~  March 6, 2010  ~  May 22, 2010

Pathways to Prayer
For Young Adults (18-35)
with
Linda Mae Plourde, p.m., and a Team of Presenters

There is a longing in our hearts to grow in God's love and grace.  Prayer is the avenue for such growth and the means to remain united to God.  In these one-day retreats, various pathways to prayer will be presented to the participants who want to develop, deepen and nurture their relationship with God.

Arrival: 10:00 AM/ Saturday                         Departure 4:00 PM / Saturday
To register, please call (207) 284-5671


 

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November 18-20, 2009    OR     March 8-10, 2010

The Mandala Exploration & Integration
with
Fr. William Jarema

     This workshop is offered for counselors, therapists, spiritual directors, inner healing specialists, clergy, nurses and those allied to the helping and healing profession.  Each participant will learn how to facilitate the exploration of Mandala drawings and assist the client or directee's integration process.  Through the use of color, configuration and symbols, each participant will deepen his/her understanding of projective techniques, assessment of personal growth and development, interpretation of the three primary colors, three basic configurations, four centers of coping and the two polarities; masculine and feminine.
     The Mandala drawing provides a simple tool and technique for self-discovery and will provide a window of inexhaustible opportunity of knowledge, wonder and awe.  It is easier for some to disclose their personal content of thought and feeling through color and design than to proclaim a word to carry the message.  The Mandala Exploration/ Integration training program is an opportunity to create sacred space, a healing environment, a catalyst for personal growth and development, and to learn an innovative, unique and dynamic skill for personal and professional assessment.

Cost: $250.00                                        Includes 21 CEU"S
Housing: $130.00                                  Commuters with meals: $85.00
Arrival: 8:30 AM                                    Departure: 5:00 PM

  
 

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DECEMBER 30, 2009 - JANUARY 1, 2010

End of Year Retreat:
Discovering the Prayer of "Silence"
with
Fr. Robert Vaillancourt

     "Be still and know that I Am God,"  says the Lord in Scripture.  That silence is very difficult because we live in a world of noise both interiorly and exteriorly.  Longing for the Presence of God is the beginning of silence before Him.  The suggested process for the retreatant will guide one in finding within oneself the depths of one's heart, where prayer wells up, so that one may learn to enter into it and establish silence there... so that one may be enabled to sense the Presence of God beyond the spoken language... so that one may finally remain in full peace before HIM!

Cost:  $145.00
Arrival:  6:30 PM /Wednesday                     Departure: 1:00PM / Friday

Updated: February 18, 2010