Retreat offers opportunity for exploring vocations

Religious men and women were available to provide one-to-one spiritual direction to participants at the Life Awareness Vocation Retreat which took place May 29-31. Katherine Jass Lopez | Today's Catholic

More than 40 individuals had an opportunity to spend a weekend focused on discerning what God was truly asking of them at the third annual Life Awareness Vocation Retreat, “Be Still and Know That I Am God,” held May 29-31.

Held at Our Lady of the Lake University, the retreat was sponsored by the Vocation Committee of San Antonio, a collaboration of the archdiocesan Vocation Office and women and men religious serving in the archdiocese, provided a weekend of presentations, group discussions, private consultations, prayer and reflection to find out what it’s like to be a Catholic priest, sister or brother.

After sharing their first meal of the weekend, the retreatants were welcomed Friday evening by Sister Gloria Ann Fiedler, CDP, where she encouraged everyone to allow themselves to spend time with God and spend time with the more than 40 staff members made up of men and women religious.

Throughout the weekend retreatants spent time listening to talks about discernment and what the religious life is really life. Everyone had an opportunity to ask questions and have private conversations with many of the different men and women religious that were there to provide support and guidance.

Discerning a religious vocation can be challenging and the religious community was very happy to be able to offer support and understanding.

Many religious communities were excited to take part in the retreat to share information about their orders and had ministry tables set up with information, photos and trinkets for the retreatants to learn more about their groups.

Promoting vocations to the priesthood and religious life is an important goal of the archdiocese and this retreat has proven fruitful.

The success of the retreat could not have been achieved without the hard work of all of staff members involved as well as the lay community. The meals for the entire weekend were provided by the meal committee chaired by Jo Ann Garcia, whose son is a second year seminarian at Assumption Seminary.