PRACTICING SILENCE IN A NOISY WORLD: Moving Beyond Isolation and Loneliness to Fruitful and Prayerful Solitude

This is a retreat for Oblates of St. Benedict, any Christians longing for contemplative prayer and monastic liturgy, and all who seek to deepen their spiritual life through reflections on silence and solitude. How can ordinary people intentionally ‘make room for God’ and incorporate the time-honored practices of silence and solitude within our busy lives? How do we encounter God when we are alone, when God seems far off or silent, when prayer is ‘unanswered’, or when we are burdened with grief or loneliness? *Please note that this is not a “silent retreat”; it will involve presentations and some discussion on silence, and there will be ample time to practice silence.

Presenter: HON. MARY FINGAL SCHULTE (RET.) has been an Oblate of Saint Andrew’s Abbey for 16 years. She has a B.A. in history, with a minor in French, and a J.D. (law degree). She has served as Chairperson of the Ecumenical and Inter-religious Commission for the Diocese of Orange from 1999-2005. She loves proclaiming the word of God and has been a lector in her parish for over 25 years. In addition to her Benedictine spirituality, she participates in a Christian Life Community (CLC) with fellow legal professionals who completed the 19th Annotation of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. She has been a retreat presenter at Valyermo with Fr. Francis Benedict. She is co-coordinator of the Orange County oblate group, and one of four oblate mentors for the Orange County area. She loves to write, and four of her articles have been published in the Abbey Chronicle. She is developing a blog called Ordinary Days with Mary, to share her photography, spiritual writings, musings, and her passion for baking.

*If the event is listed as sold out please call us at 661-944-2178 for real time availability and waiting list.