Province Hosts YAR and SDB Retreats

By Julia St. Clair, Province Communications Coordinator

(New Rochelle, NY – June 14) – The SUE province recently hosted two retreats at the Marian Shrine in Stony Point, NY.

Having occurred for the first time in six years, the Young Adult Retreat (YAR) began the afternoon of Sunday, June 5 and concluded on Wednesday, June 8 after lunch. This year’s YAR had 19 participants—who came from Toronto, Chicago, Tampa, Louisiana, New York, and New Jersey—and four core team members.

The structured schedule of this year’s YAR allowed the participants to have what Don Bosco referred to as “unstructured free time.” This provided them with the opportunity to be moved by the Spirit and allowed for organic opportunities to occur. Moreover, the communal experienced of the retreat had young people feel loved and give love through service.

Forty SDBs also began their annual retreat on Sunday, June 5 and stayed together at the Shrine through Saturday, June 11. Confreres from throughout the province—including, but not limited to, Marrero, Montréal, New Rochelle, Orange, Ramsey, and Tampa—gathered for a week of unity, fraternity, and Salesian spirituality. Fr. Michael Murray, the vice provincial for the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, preached this year’s June SDB retreat.

The next SDB retreat will take place in Tampa beginning on Sunday, June 26, with Fr. Michael Murray as the preacher again. There will then be two more SDB retreats in August in Stony Point and Toronto. Please pray for all young people and confreres who recently attended retreat and for those who will embark on one in the next two months.