Are retreats worth the time

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I have trying to decide whether or not to attend a Catholic retreat in the future.
Most of the retreats I have seen call for a person to devote three days and two nights away from home.
It is hard to work around my work schedule. But doable.
I am interested in the experience of you CAF brothers and sisters who have attended a retreat in recent years. What was your experience?
 
I have attended wonderful retreats, hope to do a silent retreat someday.

Not every retreat is for everyone. I could not do a Charismatic retreat, or Cursillo, or the other one where “it is all secret”. Nope, I want to know the schedule and the presenters.
 
I go on retreat once a year (or twice, if I’m particularly blessed) and have found it extraordinarily beneficial for my spiritual life. As things are for me at this point in my existence, I can’t imagine not going annually…but I didn’t always feel this way and I might not feel this way forever. All I can say is that it’s right for me now.

All my retreats except one have been silent. The longest lasted eight days (I’ve been on two of those).

I’d encourage you to make the effort if it’s something that attracts you, but don’t let anyone pressure you into it or make you feel guilty if you don’t want to or can’t go.
 
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This looks like a retreat that I would enjoy. Time to think and get closer to God.
 
Same here. When I go on retreat, I’m looking for silence. There are plenty of group spiritual events for me to engage in close to home. Quiet, peaceful spiritual activities? Not so much.

The one non-silent retreat I went on was a three-day lectio divina retreat, so by definition it was plenty silent anyway 😉
 
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Many years ago I made a Cursillo, and found it to have a strong spiritual impact on my life. More recently (but still a decade + ago) I made an Emmaus retreat; again, strong impact. More recently, mys sister and I spent several days at our local Trappist Abbey retreat house; it certainly was a blessing, but I would prefer a guided retreat.

A retreat generally will give you in proportion to what you put into it; in other words, one could drift through in “neutral” and not derive much from it.

I don’t know if the Charismatic Movement has specific retreats. It is my understanding that Cursillo is still active.

About Cursillo: It was founded in Spain in 1944 (hint: 1) it still has the approval of the church, and 2) it is still relevant 65 years later). As such, it is not anywhere nearly as emotive as the Charismatic Movement (also approved by the Church)… However for us North Countries Germanic types, it is going to have some emotional impact. And that is not a bad thing, in spite of the fact we tend to avoid those.

If you could make one, I would suggest giving it serious consideration - and don’t try to “scope out” what it is about. The short of it is that it is about Christ, you, and your fellow people.

However, whatever retreat you decide to go on will be a benefit to the extent that you are open to the substance of it and go, letting the Holy Spirit do its work.
 
For many years I went to the men’s retreat at a Passionist Retreat Center near me. They were structured retreats with scheduled talks prayer and of course, Confession and Mass.

This is good for those who never experienced a retreat

As time went on, I began going on retreat at the Trappist Monastery, St Joseph’s in Spencer. These are not structured and you’re pretty much left on your own for most of the time, but they were deeper spiritually, for myself. There was one talk and of course time to go to Confession to a priest and receive spiritual guidance. You can ask for more direction, but they won’t dwell on that too much…

So, it depends on why you want to make a retreat ?

The sole purpose is to grow closer to God and spending a week-end just for that purpose, God will reward you.

In all., don’t pay too much attention to how others experienced their retreat, for it was theirs, and yours will be your retreat and your experience.

In other words, let the Holy Spirit take you through the retreat.

Jim
 
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I am a cradle Catholic. My daughter recently went through RCIA confirmation. Her enthusiasm along the way has rekindled something in me. I think I want more.
 
I have been invited to an ACTS retreat. I think it is like the Cursillo movement. Not my cup of tea. But I am sure, it is very nice.
 
That is the other “secret” retreat I was thinking of. Great for some people, not for others. The Faith is beautiful that there are expressions of spirituality that fit every sort of person 🙂
 
YourNameHere said:
I am interested in the experience of you CAF brothers and sisters who have attended a retreat in recent years. What was your experience?
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It depends on who you are and how you’re wired. I’m introverted and have never enjoyed a group retreat, despite trying it a handful of times. It’s really awkward when everyone in the room is hugging and crying and I’m not feeling caught up in the “spirit” of things. I also don’t believe that these emotions and behaviors should be contrived or phony. So I usually stand around awkwardly or look for an excuse to use the lady’s room. 😏

I was invited to attend a Cursillo retreat but got REALLY gold feet and bailed when I learned more about it. (If you’re curious, I can take this conversation to PM because I don’t want to rustle the feathers of the Cursillo folks).

The best retreat I ever made was a silent, solo retreat. I rented a room at a local Catholic retreat center near the river and spent some time in fasting, silence, prayer, and Adoration. For me, it’s a spiritual spa. I definitely hope to do this yearly.

But again, it really depends on your personality.
 
I understand exactly where you are coming from. The problem is that you feel left to do it on your own. There is nothing wrong with that, but a guided retreat has a lot to offer. Namely guidance.
What happened is that all of the typical retreats offered these days by parishes and schools are too emotionally focused. They are quite a departure from what retreats were traditionally all about. A silent retreat should not be the exception, in my mind it should be almost the norm. Hugging, crying, and getting caught up in the spirit of things (to use your very well put phrase) are weird events.
So I am not saying your spiritual spa is a bad thing, but there are still lots of good retreats out there, one just has to look beyond the typical parish ACT retreat being offered.
 
I think the success of a retreat depends on the participant and his/her frame of mind.

I’ve never been to a retreat. I know that I’m not a guy who enjoys that sort of group dynamic. I wouldn’t enjoy myself. Ergo, I don’t go.
 
Yeah, my first two retreats, they asked for volunteers to double up on the rooms.

I volunteered and after the 2nd time, vowed never to share a room on retreat again

The Abbey, all rooms are private with a private bath

Jim
 
The only person I’ve ever shared a room with on retreat is The Husband. In all other circumstances, I want to be alone. If I can’t be, then I don’t go. It’s a deal-breaker for me.

In the end, it’s important to know oneself. Some people benefit from the emotional displays. Others find what they’re looking for in more subdued interactions. Still others open themselves to the Holy Spirit through solitary contemplation punctuated by periodic conversations with a guide. And then there are those who simply need to be left alone in silence. No one type of retreat is better than the others. Individuals need to determine which type would be most helpful to them in the situation they are in today.

There is little point in investing time, effort and money going on a retreat that doesn’t address one’s current spiritual needs. I often hear of people who feel pressured to go on retreats they are hesitant about, and I’ve been subjected to such pressure myself. If a person is attracted to a particular retreat and attendance is possible, then by all means (s)he should go. If not, however, no one else should lay a guilt trip on him/her for declining.
 
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on_the_hill said:
I’ve never been to a retreat. I know that I’m not a guy who enjoys that sort of group dynamic. I wouldn’t enjoy myself. Ergo, I don’t go
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Not all retreats are group based. Only one of mine has been.
 
Went on an Emmaus retreat and really enjoyed it. We were in a newer building. We used communal bathrooms, but otherwise we had private rooms, each with a sink and an electrical outlet. I figured it would be somewhat rustic when they listed the electrical outlet as one of the “amenities”.
 
I try to make a retreat every year. It’s been a little over a year since my last one and I am feeling it. I’ll need to find something this summer to go to.

I’ve done Cursillo and for folks who say they wouldn’t go because they don’t “know” what is going to happen are really missing the point. The retreat is not a “secret”, it is a period of time when all your basic needs are met, shelter, heat /AC, food, water, and what ever special needs one might have. One woman hadn’t quite weaned her baby by the time the Cursillo started but a volunteer brought the baby in for mom to nurse 2-3 per day. (For the perfect parents, the child was well cared for by his father and was very well fed in addition to the nursing)

Part of the retreat structure is to give the retreatants the ability to focus on their spiritual journey through the retreat. It is an safe place to just let the Holy Spirit work in you without having to be concerned with the day to day of life.
 
I was able to do a yearly silent retreat for a weekend when I was young and highly reccomend them op Hope to attend retreats in the future,it’s been too long 🙂
 
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