What Past Retreatants Have Said About Their Experience
Reprinted from our 'Mater Eucharistiae' Newsletter
So what are the vocation retreats really like? Why do so many young women, often numbering well over a hundred, come for a twenty-four hour retreat? What is it that attracts them from all parts of the United States and Canada? For each young woman, the answer is different and the experience unique. The following are a few glimpses of the retreats in the words of the young women who have experienced the retreats themselves:
“…I have to say that your retreat was more intense than any retreat I’ve ever gone on….”
“…you and your sisters are such a blessing and amazing example of purity and beautiful femininity, I can’t tell you what a joy it is for me to see you!…”
“I just want to tell you how much fun I had on your retreat and that if I do have a vocation to be a Sister, I think I would be a Sister of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist…”
“I want to thank you for one of the most rejuvenating and spiritual weekends of my life! You and the other sisters make me realize the true love story of devotion to our Lord and his blessed mother, Mary. The entire weekend was so peaceful and beautiful, the Holy Spirit was most definitely present every second!…”
“… I feel as though it really gave me the quite time that I needed to figure some things out and make some decisions. I feel as though I learned a lot about myself through prayer, and I know that I have a much greater appreciation and admiration for the religious vocation. You and the other sisters are the beautiful, joyful witnesses to Christ’s love, and that is so very important.”
“…The Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist is probably not the avenue that I am being called to, but what I learned while on this retreat is more than enough to guide me through whatever path God’s will leads me!”
“… I came up to Ann Arbor from Ohio with a car full of friends to meet the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist. I’m really glad I did, they are wonderful women. Right as we were driving up, the first thing you see is the full habit the sisters wear, immediately declaring their love and special dedication to God. But what is most noticeable when you come face to face with these sisters are their beautiful smiles. Smiles can speak volumes, they have a lot to tell you about what is going on inside a person. The smiles these sisters have reach out and wrap you up with warmth. They come from deep inside their souls to sparkle in their eyes and just glow with a beauty that goes beyond simple appearance. Smiles like that speak to me of real love, of a depth of sincerity and peace and joy that is found embracing the truth. When you recognize that God loves you profoundly, and you love Him back, I think that opens you up to become a channel of that tremendous and powerful love. This is that I see in the smiles of the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist. Come, meet them, see those smiles for yourself. As Sister Joseph Andrew says, “Don’t forget the WIDE OPEN HEARTS for Jesus and Mary to fill!!!” You may just discover that you have a smile like that inside you too.”