Retreat Offerings
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Does your parish or group wish to make a retreat, to reflect on some part of the Christian faith? Bernadette, who has been well received in many retreat settings, has presented the following topics in the past and is willing to present them with your group. She can present on other many other topics, such as Scripture, Eucharist or God’s Mercy. Please let her know of your group’s particular interests.
Retreats can be 2-3 hours in the evening or during the day. They can be extended to full-day sessions or linked together for a series of gatherings. They can include a meal. Bernadette is willing to drive up to 2 1/2 hours from her home in Horsham, PA, to your location. She is also willing to fly if the distance is longer. Please use the contact page to begin a conversation about a possible presentation. |
We’ve been very fortunate to have taken part in several of Bernadette’s retreats and we heartily recommend her as a retreat leader. She has great command of her subject matter, a wonderful teaching style that keeps the retreatants active and involved and a real love of people and the Faith, all of which ensure that her messages are true, compelling and well-received.
John and Joan Schoonover, Epiphany Parish, Sayre, PA |
Entering the Welcoming Church:
We know we want everyone to feel welcome at our parish, but what does it take to make that happen? We have a great example in Jesus, who took the time to really see each person He met and be present to them. We can do the same! Come and learn about the ministry of hospitality –how to do it in all avenues of Church life, the spirituality of hospitality and practical ways to practice it personally. Enter into the ministry of hospitality so others can enter a welcoming church.
We know we want everyone to feel welcome at our parish, but what does it take to make that happen? We have a great example in Jesus, who took the time to really see each person He met and be present to them. We can do the same! Come and learn about the ministry of hospitality –how to do it in all avenues of Church life, the spirituality of hospitality and practical ways to practice it personally. Enter into the ministry of hospitality so others can enter a welcoming church.
What If You Saw Yourself as God Does?
A poor self-image can be a barrier socially, personally and professionally. It can also cause problems in our relationship with God. We may think of ourselves as unworthy, sinful or simply unholy. God has a different focus: God loves both the person we are and the person we will become. This love is at the heart of the Gospel and yet many Catholics have never heard of it. Once we realize it, we cannot help but share that love with others. This outpouring of love will be shaped by the unique gifts God has given each of us. Consider it an opportunity to enter into God’s hope-filled perspective!
A poor self-image can be a barrier socially, personally and professionally. It can also cause problems in our relationship with God. We may think of ourselves as unworthy, sinful or simply unholy. God has a different focus: God loves both the person we are and the person we will become. This love is at the heart of the Gospel and yet many Catholics have never heard of it. Once we realize it, we cannot help but share that love with others. This outpouring of love will be shaped by the unique gifts God has given each of us. Consider it an opportunity to enter into God’s hope-filled perspective!
The Paschal Mystery: Living the Resurrection
How are we to understand the suffering in our lives? Are these periods in which God simply abandons us? We look to the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus for a pattern, a way through. St. Paul tells us that Jesus is the firstborn of the dead; we too will die and rise. Most Christians think this only applies to the end of their physical life, but God wants us to know that this pattern of dying and rising is part of everyday Christian living. Learn to be a person of hope!
How are we to understand the suffering in our lives? Are these periods in which God simply abandons us? We look to the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus for a pattern, a way through. St. Paul tells us that Jesus is the firstborn of the dead; we too will die and rise. Most Christians think this only applies to the end of their physical life, but God wants us to know that this pattern of dying and rising is part of everyday Christian living. Learn to be a person of hope!
Disciples Are Called and Sent. You Are Called and Sent.
If you had to explain what it means to be a good disciple of Jesus, what would you say? Being a good disciple includes the comfort of being loved by God and being part of a wonderful parish community. AND it also requires a commitment to bring that same love to others and to invite them into your wonderful community. Christians are both gathered into the Good Shepherd’s flock and sent out to build the Kingdom of God. If you are thinking, “Well, that is for someone else to do. I am just me,” then come and explore what being a disciple means. The good you are doing every day everywhere is how you bring God to others.
If you had to explain what it means to be a good disciple of Jesus, what would you say? Being a good disciple includes the comfort of being loved by God and being part of a wonderful parish community. AND it also requires a commitment to bring that same love to others and to invite them into your wonderful community. Christians are both gathered into the Good Shepherd’s flock and sent out to build the Kingdom of God. If you are thinking, “Well, that is for someone else to do. I am just me,” then come and explore what being a disciple means. The good you are doing every day everywhere is how you bring God to others.
Who I Am = God’s Road Map for Me
Each of us, by virtue of our baptism, has a vocation, an invitation from God to do some good in the world as we travel toward our ultimate goal, life with God forever in heaven. The path God has laid out for us is revealed in who we are, in what gives us life and in what we are good at doing. Because you and I are different, God is calling us to different vocations. And, beautifully, if you bring your gifts and I bring mine, we are able together to do what God dreams of for this world. We will discuss vocation, how to figure it out and how to live it. We will uncover the gifts God has given us and plan how we can use them as a Church to build God’s Kingdom.
Each of us, by virtue of our baptism, has a vocation, an invitation from God to do some good in the world as we travel toward our ultimate goal, life with God forever in heaven. The path God has laid out for us is revealed in who we are, in what gives us life and in what we are good at doing. Because you and I are different, God is calling us to different vocations. And, beautifully, if you bring your gifts and I bring mine, we are able together to do what God dreams of for this world. We will discuss vocation, how to figure it out and how to live it. We will uncover the gifts God has given us and plan how we can use them as a Church to build God’s Kingdom.
Our Home Is a Place of Holiness
What word would you use to describe your family? Ordinary? Different? Struggling? Fun? Crazy? How about “Holy”? If you were a holy family, it would mean that God is in love with you. It would mean that God is wrapped up in everything you do and are, as individuals and as a family unit. And this is indeed exactly how it is: you are a holy family!
Knowing this can bring great peace. Exploring it can strengthen your family in ways you cannot imagine. Reflect on the marvelous holiness of your home!
What word would you use to describe your family? Ordinary? Different? Struggling? Fun? Crazy? How about “Holy”? If you were a holy family, it would mean that God is in love with you. It would mean that God is wrapped up in everything you do and are, as individuals and as a family unit. And this is indeed exactly how it is: you are a holy family!
Knowing this can bring great peace. Exploring it can strengthen your family in ways you cannot imagine. Reflect on the marvelous holiness of your home!
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Getting My Own Spiritual House in Order … So I Can Help My Children with Theirs
Raising a child is both a rewarding and a challenging task. Every parent or guardian needs a deep pool of strength and love from which to drink – often multiple times a day! This pool is filled by a healthy spiritual life. Just as we need healthy bodies and minds to raise children well, we need to attend to our spiritual health. Finding the time to connect with God daily may seem impossible. It is not! You are invited to grow in your understanding of Christian spirituality and how developing your relationship with God will impact your family in a positive way. Bring your practical ideas to share; learn about new ideas. N.B. This works best with an additional section where children join adults for some Sabbath activities. |
How Well Do Your Children Know God?
This question is about more than memorizing facts about God; it is about being in a solid, ongoing relationship with God. Since God is pure spirit, this relationship develops through our relationships with other people. We come to know God through others.
And because the humans we interact with the most are the people in our families, one of the best places to help kids come to know God is at home. As a parent or guardian, you have an awesome opportunity to help your children develop a life-giving, long-lasting relationship with God! Don’t worry: you don’t need to figure out how to do this on your own. Reflect on your call to help your children know God and explore ways to do so. Share your ideas and struggles with others working on the same ministry, raising faith-filled children.
N.B. This can also have an additional section where children join adults for reflection, prayer and activity.
Marriage: A Pathway to God
The Church tells us that marriage is a vocation but what does that mean? The wedding takes place in the church and occasionally we renew our vows, but most of the time we are just living life. Yes, that is exactly the point! Married couples help each other travel toward God in the ordinariness of everyday life – and this is beautiful!
Can You Hear Me Now? – Connecting with God
Here’s a fact: God is in love with you and wants a relationship with you. Assuming that makes you happy to hear, how do you respond? You have so many options! One of the great treasures of the Catholic Christian Church is its broad range of prayer styles. Bernadette will talk about prayer as a relationship with God and give you a sampling of some of the forms it can take. The retreat is for teens and adults, whether you are new to prayer or a prayer warrior who could use some affirmation/ renewal or anyone in between.
Here’s a fact: God is in love with you and wants a relationship with you. Assuming that makes you happy to hear, how do you respond? You have so many options! One of the great treasures of the Catholic Christian Church is its broad range of prayer styles. Bernadette will talk about prayer as a relationship with God and give you a sampling of some of the forms it can take. The retreat is for teens and adults, whether you are new to prayer or a prayer warrior who could use some affirmation/ renewal or anyone in between.
Living Your Strengths: Discover Your God-Given Gifts
Have you ever thought of yourself as a gift? God has never made another person like you. Statistics bear this out! This retreat will give you the opportunity to explore the science and the spirituality of your unique set of strengths. You will also see how everyone around you likewise has a different (and complementary) set of strengths. With an awareness of these gifts, you can see the plan God has for you as a parish community and as members of the larger community as well.
N.B. Participants will each need to
- Purchase (not necessarily read) the book, StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath, either a hard copy from Amazon –making sure it is new, so they get an unused code—or an e-book directly from Gallup;
- Use the code in the book to take the StrengthsFinder2.0 survey; and
- Bring the results to the retreat.