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LETTERS FROM OUR RETREATANTS
We have tried to put together on these pages letters from our retreatants that we receive after they experience retreat. The reasons for retreat are as many as the faithful who attend. From annual spiritual maintenance to dealing with the loss of a loved one to difficulties in relationships to . . . and the list is endless. But for whatever reason a person invests in themselves with the gift of retreat there is always a change, a redemption, a conversion, a strengthening, an awareness that occurs that God will never give us anything in our lives that God and us cannot handle together.
While words alone cannot convey the message of the heart and no two experiences are identical, we hope that you may find these notes as inspirational as we do. If you have retreat experiences that you want to share (anonymously if you choose), please e-mail them to me. It doesn't have to be any particular length. Whether you can express it in an a paragraph or a page is completely up to you.
************************************************ To: Dear Father Paul, (May 7, 2011)
It is a week later and I'm still on a high from last weekend's Women's Retreat.
It truly was a life changing experience for me and I'm so excited to finally be
on this journey to learn about the Lord's word and surround myself with the
people and resources that will help me be successful. I am truly glowing from
the Holy Spirit inside of me and I am so grateful to you, Father Patrick, Sister
Roberta and your entire staff for making the weekend extra special for me. I
can't wait for the next opportunity to visit your retreat house! In the
meantime, I find myself very eager to get involved with my Parish (St. Louis).
************************************************ Dear Fr. Paul: (May 20, 2011) PJ and I are so thankful for the incredible week we had with you in Palm Beach. We both got so much out of the retreat and found it to be a very powerful experience. We feel more prepared than ever now to enter in to the union of marriage. We found the weekend incredibly peaceful. It was good to get away from all the hustle and bustle and find ourselves in the presence of God We enjoyed meeting all the married couples and to get their advice on the journey of marriage. Thank you for making our trip so special. We can’t wait to see you in August at the Wedding! Love Kim & PJ ************************************************
To: Father Paul & The whole Team of this Past Weekend Marriage Retreat of 5/14 to 5/16/10.
This weekend meant everything to me and my wife. We came in with an open heart. But, also with a broken heart in challenges of our marriage.
We truly believe that Jesus healed us in a deep and loving way. We faced our truths with fear. At first and suddenly we realized that there was nothing to fear. Precisely what we feared and did not want to face, was what Jesus wanted to heal.
We have realized that our mission is to follow Christ and go out and preach the good news to others. We promise to bring as many couples to this retreat as; Jesus wants us to call for him. Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!
Please I have enclosed my business card with my email. Please email me the up-coming couples or men or women's retreats, so that we can start with our small ministry.
God Bless,
Sergio & Christine DelGado
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(The following two letters are from family members of a young man who came on retreat, experienced redemption and conversion and was tragically killed in an automobile accident a year later)
June 2, 2010
Dear Father Paul……
I hope this letter finds you well.
Well, Father, I can sit here and tell you that during my young years and well into my present adult life, I was one who simply practiced my faith in silence. Not one that enjoyed getting up early on Sunday mornings, I’d much rather sleep-in, as I watched both my sister Miriam and brother Vincent, gladly and joyfully go off to Mass every Sunday morning…… Sometimes feelings of guilt would consume me, thinking that God would be mad at me for not going along with them. But I figured he’d forgive me…..…he always does.
My parents, in 1962, made a difficult decision and sacrificed everything to give us a better life here in America . . . thru it all, we had a wonderful childhood and to my parent’s credit and a little help from God, I am blessed with three things today; A wonderful family, a comfortable life, and my faith in God . . . he always watches over me.
Fast forward to the present . . . life sometimes gives you a hard blow. Sometimes I still can’t quite figure it out, but I can tell you that this was quite a reality check for us all. After settling into somewhat accepting my Godson and Nephew Alex’s sudden and unexpected accident, I began to really question my faith in God. Why, did this happen to my sister’s only child, who she adored so? She always wanted the very best for him and constantly worried and watched for his well being. I began to question why God took him away so soon.
This is where my story of what attending this retreat has meant for me . . . Originally, I felt that attending the retreat was my way of supporting my sister Miriam. Figuring that this would somewhat ease her pain, if just for a little while, I accepted an invitation to attend while visiting Miriam’s home and having dinner with John & Dawn, Alex’s close and dearest friends. Dawn had mentioned the retreat to Miriam and somehow, without realizing what I had done, I found myself saying I would attend…..well, too late now, I said to myself, I’m not one to go back on my word and talked myself into believing I was going to support and be there for Miriam . . . Later on that evening, at home, I began regretting my decision to go because I feared not knowing what to expect. I tell you, I was scared. What would I find? My lack of faith at that time was one thing I was afraid to confront and to expose. But keeping the main reason for going in mind, I convinced myself that this was not about me . . . boy, was I wrong.
So the day came, and by that time, I think that Fisherman Alex had hooked us all into what turned out to be “a remarkable weekend”. My younger sister Emily, who in my opinion, then also practiced her faith in silence (she too has found her way and deepen her faith by getting ready to do her First Holy Communion in a few months, along with her son Adam, who is 14 years old), my beautiful daughter Stephanie, whose faith in God she does not hide (I admire her for that, and for so much more) and my sister Miriam, who in my eyes, is the strongest woman I’ve met. No doubt her faith keeps her strong, she amazes me. And then of course, there is me . . .
We had a remarkable and amazing time at the retreat. We shared, laughed and together we cried, and I mean a lot, but the tears were tears of healing and joy, remembering Alex and knowing one reason for his passing was to align our path into becoming closer to our faith in God.
There is one paragraph, in the front of the “We Walk by Faith Retreat Theme Newsletter”, that I just love and keep by my bedside . . . it reads: “Life’s events may challenge our faith. Doubts arise. Questions may go unanswered. Trusting God in the midst of uncertainty may not come easily. Wishful thinking takes the place of faith.” . . . I think this was written just for me . . .
Things do happen for a reason, I truly believe that now wholeheartedly. The retreat forced me rethink and take inventory of my own spirituality. It made me realize that sometimes when we lose someone and the pain begins to subside, a lot begins to make sense. I know it has made my sisters and my daughter even closer than before. I can honestly say that I’ve committed myself to grown in my faith and once again go to Mass, (most Sunday mornings), I know God is still working within me in that respect but he’d be proud of me, even if I don’t make it to Mass every Sunday. I now try study and read the Bible (baby steps at a time), which sometimes is a bit cumbersome to understand but Miriam turned me on to a publication “God’s Word Today” . . . a reading scripture that is really helping me in understanding the written word of God.
Father Paul, the retreat paved the way for me to take the time to grow and deepen my faith and reconnect my relationship with God and to make sure that it remains unbroken and whole.
Sincerely, Silvia Lom-Ajan
************************************************ June 2, 2010 Dear Father Paul,
I hope all is well with you and all at Our Lady of Florida.
As I write this letter I find myself thinking about all that has transpired since last October. The pain and sadness of losing Alex is still very fresh in my heart. From that moment onward my only question was why? Why did you take him? He was so young. Why take my sister’s only child? I could not get my head around it. I would say God must need him more in heaven then here on earth. Even after Alex’s mass, with the reading of his letter testifying his return to our Lord, I still questioned why? He came back to you Lord! So, why take him now? I pondered this for months.
When my sister Miriam brought up going on retreat to Our Lady of Florida I thought it would be us doing it mostly as a favor to her. The past months had been full of pain and sadness. A pilgrimage to the place where Alex reverted back to his faith would help bring my sister back from the deep state of depression which had consumed her for so many months. Little did I know that God’s grace would touch me profoundly.
God has a plan for each of us. This I believe is true. I am a very lucky or should I say extremely blessed woman. I have a wonderful family whom I am very close to and fortunate enough to have near by. I am able to see them often and for every occasion. How many people can say that? I have a wonderful husband and two beautiful sons. Yes, I am very blessed indeed! However, I was missing one thing. One very big thing indeed!
While on retreat, my sister Miriam seemed immediately at home. There were many tears shed by us all, but there was peace and healing as well. I felt timid in the sense that lurking in the back of my mind there was fear. I had not completed all my holy sacraments. Yes, coming from a good Catholic family, I had not had my first holy communion. Yikes! I have always believed in God and his teachings. He had always been good and merciful to me. Did I need to do everything required of me or could I pick and choose those things that I believed suited my life? As the weekend proceeded with many workshops and four masses later, the answer was obvious. I needed to get my spiritual life in order. Although I had been leading a good life it was not complete. I was not placing God at the center of my life. I have two young children who do not know Christ as they should know him. I have always taught my children the basics such as do not lie, do not steal, be good to others, etc. However, the Lord was not at the forefront of these teachings. He was kind of and aside. I knew I had to change things, not just for myself but for my children as well.
“We walk by Faith.” That is a true statement! That weekend at Our Lady of Florida awakened my Faith. I came to realize that my lack of Faith in God had led me to question him. Once I opened myself to God completely, I noticed that every obstacle that crossed my path in reaching my spiritual goals became nonexistent. I believe it is God inviting me into his Grace. The path has led me closer to God and the way of life he wants for my family and me.
The Monday after I returned from retreat I quickly began inquiring about RCIA. My son Adam and I began classes on Wednesday of that same week. We are currently finishing our final weeks of classes. Adam will be ready for confirmation in two weeks. My situation will take some time. My husband is currently seeking annulment from his previous marriage so we may hopefully marry within the Catholic Church. We are both very excited! As I mentioned, it will take some time but I have faith that God will help us work through it. It is worth the wait!
As for my question of why? Alex is always in our thoughts and in our hearts. This time that has passed since his death has taught me to stop asking God why? It is not a question for me to ask. The Lord’s lesson for me is that I must instill God’s way of life in my children and be a role model to them by leading a good Christian life. If one of them should be called to Him, will they be ready? Alex was ready.
Father Paul thanks you so much. Your work helps us to keep our life and faith in check. I look forward to returning next year with my sisters and niece, hopefully as a Roman Catholic.
God Bless you all.
Sincerely, Emily Eismont
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