Corpus NCR, Concerned Catholics of Ottawa (CCO), and Catholic Network for Women’s Equality (CNWE) spent the weekend of October 19-21 at Galilee Retreat Centre in Arnprior, Ontario.  Some members belong to two or three of the groups so we always get together for annual retreat and Christmas party.

The theme of the retreat was Sacred Story/Our Story.  Friday evening opened with prayer and Ban Hanlon gave an introduction to the retreat on the nature and importance of story.  At that time, we were given a blank spiral on which we would each trace our personal journey of our understanding of God throughout our lives.  Everyone enjoyed an evening social afterwards.

The Saturday morning prayer set the tone for the day ­ the sharing of our stories.  The morning session was a presentation by four members.  Jack Shea, Rosemarie Martin, Maurice Sullivan and Edna Monette gave a profound account of their own very personal stories.  Everyone then reflected individually on their own story and worked on completing their story in spiral form.  We contemplated on how the sacred story of Christianity became transformed for us into our own spiritual life.  We reflected on events that were instrumental in our transformation, the experiences that precipitated and nourished the development of our personal spiritual stories, the images, memories and feelings we had at particular times in our lives.

Each person was invited to take a weaving mat (symbolic of their life) and a long coloured piece of ribbon different from anyone else’s.  As each one shared their stories with another over the weekend they would give a piece of their ribbon to be woven into the other person’s life mat. 

After breaking into small groups we openly shared our own stories.  There were many similar circumstances and many unique experiences of faith.  The uniqueness and richness of each person’s life was meaningful for all of us as we learned how their story influenced their sense of spirituality and practice.

Saturday afternoon was spent in creative expression.  Some people went to a poetry group, some for a nature walk, some to a chat group, some to do some art, and some to walk the Labyrinth.  The Christian Labyrinth is a long forgotten mystical tradition that is being reborn.  A labyrinth is on the grounds at Galilee Retreat Centre and the path becomes a mirror for where we are in our lives.

As the time slipped by during the day, a great deal of sharing took place in pairs and in groups.  Coloured ribbons were exchanged reverently and woven into colourful life mats.

Saturday evening was a great social where people again took the opportunity to share their thoughts, ideas and concerns, hopes and dreams for the future and our church.

Sunday morning gave an opportunity to view a video of a talk by John Wyngaards and one by Mairead Corrigan-McGuire from the WOW (Women’s Ordination World Wide) conference in Dublin last June.  Two of our women, Mary Joy and Virginia Lafond had attended this very significant conference.  The main message of course is that full participation of women in all ministries must come and that will require an overhaul of church law, training, ecclesiastical structures and pastoral practices.  

The retreat closed with a very meaningful liturgy with the theme of Sacred Story.  Everyone concelebrated, colourful life mats were worn, and life spirals presented during the table preparation.  Together we sang the Eucharistic prayer and “We Come to Share Our Story, We come to break the bread”.

The retreat itself had become yet another meaningful strand woven into the fabric of our sacred stories.