Sisters of the Presentation of Mary

Yes, we did survive the cold, rainy weather.  Last Thursday thirteen men and women drove north from Saskatoon for a retreat at St John Bosco Camp, which lies along the Hanson Lake Road in the Prince Albert Diocese. Supported by the prayers of the PM Sisters, and those of the Oblates and many friends of both our communities, Sr Janna Tumbach, Sr Mary Jane Beavis, Bradley Clark (Oblate pre-novice) and F. Ken Thorson joined with three men and six women, in stepping back from the hurried pace of our everyday lives.

The program for the weekend included four presentations each morning and evening. The respective themes of the presentations were: Prayer, The Consciousness Examen, Discernment, and finally Lectio Divina. Good chunks of time were given over each morning to periods of silent prayer and reflection, with the opportunity for reconciliation, and to speak with any of the four facilitators. We prayed Morning and Evening Prayer, and celebrated mass Friday and Sunday in Bosco Camp’s rustic chapel. Afternoons were left free for activities like fishing, canoeing and kayaking, or to enjoy the quiet beauty of the place on a walk through the forest or along the shore of one of the two lakes that lie within the borders of the camp. There were even three courageous souls (April, Emily & S. Mary Jane) who braved the cold lake water for a 20-minute swim… followed by an equal amount of time thawing out in the showers.

When we arrived Thursday we discovered that there was a ban on open fires because of dry conditions in the area. However, the dry conditions ceased upon our arrival at the camp as a thunder storm with steady rain pounded on our tents throughout the night, but it did little to dampen the spirits of our group.  We had all come ready to encounter the Lord: in each other, in scripture, in personal and in communal prayer, and in particular, in the quiet solitude of the north. That said, we experienced a moment of real gratitude and thanksgiving Friday afternoon when the camp staff told us that the Park authorities had lifted the fire ban. This was providential, as Friday night would bring with it more rain, which would later turn to snow as the evening cooled. Gathered round the main campfire pit, the weather was bearable, and everyone remained in good spirits... even as the snow started to fall.  Needless to say there was much discussion and little sleep in some of the tents throughout the night on the best survival method to keep warm.  We all agreed that not an inch of skin could be exposed and your sleeping bag had to be completed sealed off to survive the zero degree weather.   

The meals on the weekend were a hit. One breakfast was our own take on the Egg McMuffin; Supper on Saturday evening was pork chops marinated in BBQ sauce and root beer over an open fire. Most memorable though were the Bush Pies.  For the uninitiated, a bush pie is two pieces of bread with some sort of filling, wedged between two pieces metal at the end of two long handles (it’s basically a camp-fire version of a sandwich maker – the cast iron versions work best). You might be asking yourself if bush pies are any good. Suffice it to say that we went through a lot bread on this retreat!

The weekend could be characterized less a discernment retreat, and more an experience of church: We worked and played together; we shared something of our struggles and hopes; and of course we talked of God. We encouraged each other in our respective Christian journeys, prayed together, and spoke a bit about how God is working in our lives and how he is calling us to spend our lives each day attentive and responsive to His presence.

Finally, we are grateful to all of you for holding us in prayer before and during the weekend; and we ask you to continue to pray for each of the retreatants, and for us the facilitators, as we each continue to discern and live God’s call to be faithful to the Gospel as members of the Church.