WAVERLY (SNR) - Men and women of all ages are invited to a Lenten retreat with the vicar of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, Father John Anthony Boughton, CFR.
The weekend retreat March 26-28 will be held in person at Our Lady of Good Counsel Retreat House in Waverly, but registrants may also participate at home with livestream and on-demand recordings.
This “spiritual workout” retreat is about getting in shape for spiritual combat. Participants will learn the weapons needed to fight this battle: prayer, fasting, forgiveness, the sacraments and Lectio Divina. 
The Catechism of the Catholic Church says humanity is in a spiritual battle, and those who want to act habitually according to the Spirit of Christ must pray habitually in his name: “The ‘spiritual battle’ of the Christian’s new life is inseparable from the battle of prayer.” (2725)
Father John Anthony Boughton, CFR is a native of Dallas. A graduate of the Virginia Military Institute, he was commissioned in the US Naval Reserve, worked as a sales rep, and was vice president and director of operations for St. David’s Relief Foundation in Bosnia and Herzegovina 1992-95. He joined the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal (CFRs) in 1996 and was ordained a priest in 2005.
Father Boughton was a local superior in Honduras and then in Nicaragua 2005-17 and executive director of the Mountain of Peace Foundation. He is currently stationed in the New York City Bronx, serving as the General Vicar of the CFRs.
Started in the South Bronx by Father Benedict Groeschel in 1987 with eight men, the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal (franciscanfriars.com) has grown to a community of more than 140 members with friaries in five different countries. Through a life of prayer, fraternity, apostolate, penance, and wholehearted living of the gospel, they work in service of the poor and evangelization, sharing the rich treasures of the Catholic faith by the prophetic witness of their lives.
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.
All retreats are available both in person and online. In-person retreats include opportunity for Mass, adoration and confession, direction and discussion, prayer and fellowship, meals and lodging. Social distancing and occupancy limits apply.
Upcoming retreats will be April 9-11, Divine Mercy weekend with Father Benjamin Rynearson; and April 23-25, “Discipleship in the Gospels” with Father Jay Buhman. View the full schedule of retreats and register online at goodcounselretreat.com or contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 402-786-2705.
