Barefoot in church and no kneelers

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mercygate

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You thought this would be a rant about liturgical abuses, didn’t you?

It’s not.

I have just returned from an intense and fruitful retreat with about 30 other men and women, where a third of those attending spent much of the time, even in chapel, barefoot in simplicity – not in rebellion. Since there were no kneelers in chapel, the able-bodied knelt directly on the floor (no problem, no complaints!). People took turns at 'round-the-clock Adoration, prayed the entire Liturgy of the Hours (Office of Readings, Morning Prayer, the 3 “little hours”, Evening Prayer, and Compline) together, maintained silence for two days, and listened to six hour-long conferences on the Eucharistic ramifications of the penitential life . . .

Age range was from 19 to about 75 years.

Very heartening.
 
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Patrick2340:
Where was this wonderful sounding retreat?
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The annual Confraternity of Penitents conference and retreat. We have been meeting (and will continue to meet for at least 2 more years) at Christ the King Seminary of the Diocese of Buffalo in East Aurora, New York.

You do not need to be a Penitent to attend (though most of us are). Next year we will have our conference/retreat from July 26-30. The retreat portion begins on Thursday after supper and continues until Saturday after lunch. The conferences will be given by one of the Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word. I don’t recall the name. Someone from EWTN. Is there a Fr. Dominic?
 
What is the Confraternity of Penitents? I don’t think I’ve ever heard of this, but what you’ve described sounds wonderful!

Peace,
Linda
 
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LindaS:
What is the Confraternity of Penitents? I don’t think I’ve ever heard of this, but what you’ve described sounds wonderful!

Peace,
Linda
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We are a private association of the faithful (that’s a canonical designation) under the Bishop of Rhode Island, living a modern adaptation of the original rule written at the request of St. Francis of Assisi by Cardinal Hugolino dei Conti dei Segni in the year 1221. The original Franciscan rule is quite different from that of the Secular Franciscan Order today. We are distinct from the SFO. You will find us here: www.penitents.org.

Our rule may seem daunting at first blush, but the formation program takes four years (or longer): no exceptions. So we grow into living the full discipline and spirituality of this way of life on a gradual ascent. A lynch pin of our spiritual and doctrinal formation is The Catechism of the Catholic Church. Prayer is the centerpiece. We spend not less than 90 minutes a day in prayer. Our mission is a response to Our Lord’s command to St. Francis: Rebuild my Church.

As a second year novice, now in the third year of formation, I am finding that with every step there is at first a sense of trepidation (Now THIS is where I blow it! This is where I won’t be able to manage this life!), then a sense that I can do this for a week, but surely not for the rest of my LIFE! Then comes an awareness that I am limping along with whatever new discipline is being undertaken. Then I begin to realize that the particular discipline (such as praying the “little hours” of the breviary) is becoming routine. Finally, there is a feeling that life has never been any other way.

We meet monthly in chapters or on line if there is no “human” chapter near us. And, of course, there is the annual conference/retreat.
 
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