Back from her eight day retreat, Sr. Suzanne Homeyer, VHM, responds to a recent blog about creating contemplative space, with particulars about her prayerful space at Villa Maria.
Sr. Suzanne Homeyer, VHM
Just a few words about my retreat…I was blessed to be able to have a sunny, quiet corner room at the Villa Maria Retreat and Conference Center in Frontenac, Minnesota. This place is owned by the Ursuline sisters and is staffed by a small live-in community composed of one Dominican sister and two lay women. Also there is a staff of local people who are employed in every capacity from executive director to volunteer receptionists.
My room was very simply furnished and sort of ‘cell-like’ as in the cell space of a monk….Just a twin bed, desk, chair and a small chest of drawers and tiny closet….I added a stool which I borrowed from the library down the hall to create a prayer corner….I had brought a bread basket cloth with the words, “Give us this day our daily bread” embroidered at the edges…I had a votive candle and a picture of my 3 1/2 year old great nephew, a tiny glass dish for burnt matches, and my profession cross….This became my altar.
Villa Maria
As far as books, I brought a brand new spiral notebook with two pockets (college-ruled sheets), and for prayer: a book entitled, Everyday With Thomas Merton and also Kathleen Deignan’s Thomas Merton: A Book of Hours. Light Reading was Sara Mile’s Take This Bread. I also took a personal journal to use for reflection of the past several months of life and recording precious moments of this retreat, little fine point pen drawings, or hopes and dreams and miscellaneous mental minutia one creates when alone with her self for eight days.
The spirituality center has converted a gym into an inner heart chartres patterned labyrinth and a rather whimsical indoor patio complete with cushioned bamboo chairs and huge beach umbrellas….This was my sacred space…I spent hours there everyday….reading Merton, walking/praying the labyrinth several times day and night….It was a pilgrimage place for my soul.
Other stuff this sister took on retreat was comfy clothes, sturdy shoes and my swiss army knife! And God companioned me all the way.Peace,
Sr. Suzanne
Doesn’t it sound divine? Thanks for sharing this Sr. Suzanne! We look forward to hearing more from you here soon!
1 Comment
Jody Tigges · September 22, 2010 at 1:02 pm
What strikes me is that the things you brought to your retreat and the place you spent most of your time (indoor patio) are pretty ordinary things. Yet being away from the normal made it special.
Therefore, I am reminded that I don’t necessarily need to get away to create a retreat, I can do so at home with a little bit of time each day. That is until I can actually get away.