WAVERLY (SNR) – Our Lady of Good Counsel Retreat House near Waverly has published its winter and spring schedule of four-day and eight-day directed Spiritual Exercises, known as “Ignatian Retreats.”
There are 11 Ignatian retreats scheduled for men or women, with retreat directors Father Christopher Barak, Father Gary Coulter, and Matthew Simmons.
“The typical weekend retreats at Our Lady of Good Counsel Retreat House, like those given at other retreat houses, are a preached retreat,” explained Father Coulter, retreat house director. “Retreats where the retreat master gives talks to the entire group of retreatants.
“Our Directed Ignatian Retreats are intentionally smaller so that each retreatant can meet privately with the retreat director every day,” Father Coulter said, “and thus it allows lots of social distancing.”
New for this year, retreatants will also have the option to do the Ignatian Retreat at home, and meet individually with the director each day by phone or video.
Based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the heart of the Ignatian Retreat involves spending four or five prayer periods each day in meditation on scripture. It is suggested a participant read the book “Meditation and Contemplation” by Father Timothy Gallagher to learn more about how to make an Ignatian prayer period.
Retreatants will journal about each of their prayer times and the movements of the Holy Spirit that occurred there, so that when they meet with the director, they can be given guidance and appropriate Scripture passages for their meditation.
In his Dec. 11 column in the Southern Nebraska Register, Bishop James Conley wrote about the Spiritual Exercises.
“I encourage Catholics to discover St. Ignatius’ discernment of spirits as a great treasure for their spiritual lives,” he wrote. “Everyone has these stirrings within the human heart: joy and sorrow; hope and despair; fear and anxiety, but not everyone knows what to do with them. Ignatius helps us to recognize their meaning and put our trust and hope in the living God.”
Our Lady of Good Counsel Retreat House offers a sanctuary of prayer on a spacious acreage near Waverly. The facility includes 50 single rooms, each with a private bath.
January Ignatian four-day retreats are available Jan. 1-4 with Father Barak (Friday-Monday), Jan. 7-10 with Father Coulter (Thursday-Sunday), and Jan. 21-24, 2021 with Matt Simmons (Thursday-Sunday).
Other upcoming retreats will be held Jan. 15-17, a pro-life retreat with Father Thomas MacLean; Jan. 23, “Finding Joy in Prayer” online retreat with Kendra Von Esh; Jan. 28-31, “Regnum Christi Women,” and Feb. 5-7, “Unbound” with Father William Holoubek.
Learn more and register at goodcounselretreat.com, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 402-786-2705.
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Ignatian Retreats at Good Counsel Retreat HouseJan. 1-4, 2021 with Fr. Barak (4-day Friday-Monday)
Jan. 7-10, 2021 with Fr. Coulter (4-day Thursday-Sunday)
Jan. 21-24, 2021 with Matt Simmons (4-day Thursday-Sunday)
Feb. 11-14, 2021 with Fr. Coulter (4-day Thursday-Sunday)
Mar. 4-7, 2021 with Fr. Coulter (4-day Thursday-Sunday)
Mar. 11-18, 2021 with Fr. Coulter (8-day Thursday-Thursday)
Mar. 11-14, 2021 with Fr. Coulter (4-day Thursday-Sunday)
