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Report on a Gathering of Retreat Givers Kensington
NSW, 20-22 October 2003. Twenty
seven priests and bishops met in Kensington NSW for two days in October 2003, to
reflect on retreats for diocesan clergy. Most of the participants had given such
retreats in recent years, or were about to do so for the first time. In
each diocese in Australia there is a priest who has responsibility for ongoing
formation and professional development of clergy. The titles and job
descriptions vary somewhat (Vicar for Clergy, Director of Ministry to Priests,
Director of Clergy Life and Ministry, etc.). In this report they are referred to
as “diocesan directors”, and six of these priests were present, including
the diocesan directors from the largest archdioceses, Brisbane, Sydney and
Melbourne. I
convened the gathering in my role as Executive Officer of the National Catholic
Commission for Clergy Life and Ministry. Genesis of the Gathering The
genesis of the gathering was the realisation that many Australian priests,
particularly in larger dioceses, were not taking part in the regular diocesan
retreats, and were perhaps not making other arrangements for an annual retreat.
Discussion of this issue at the National Commission led to the decision to
invite retreat givers and diocesan directors to come together to see what might
be done to improve these diocesan retreats, helping them better to meet the
challenges and needs of diocesan clergy. There was, of course, no expectation
that all diocesan retreats should be conducted in the same way. Rather, it was
hoped that the gathering might encourage and enable each retreat giver to
exercise this important ministry even more fruitfully. If this hope is realised,
then it is hoped that more diocesan clergy will participate. An
invitation was sent to every bishop and priest who had given a retreat to
diocesan priests in Australia during the last five years, and to the diocesan
directors of clergy life and ministry in the major mainland capital cities.
Several of the retreat givers are also, themselves, diocesan directors. A
diocesan priest from New Zealand who works in this field also attended. At
the gathering there were twelve diocesan clergy (including two bishops) and
fifteen religious (from seven congregations). About twenty other bishops and
priests apologised that they could not attend the gathering and expressed their
encouragement and support. Format Each
day’s timetable included Morning Prayer, Midday Eucharist, Evening Prayer and
Night Prayer. We prayed the Prayer of the Church slowly, not only reciting the
psalms and canticles but drawing also on the hymns and poems in the breviary. The
first working session was called The annual diocesan clergy retreat – an
overview. Diocesan directors were asked to spell out the needs and
expectations of the clergy who are attending a retreat, while the retreat givers
were invited to answer the question “when I am giving a diocesan retreat, what
am I actually trying to do?” Small group discussion was followed by a general
forum. The
same process was used for the next session, The structure, mood and
‘feel’ of the retreat. This led to discussion about the different ways
of arranging the timetable, ways of celebrating the liturgy (including the
Sacrament of Reconciliation) and the availability of one-to-one ministry. We
also talked of the need to balance the values of silence, on the one hand, and,
on the other, companionship or conversation during a retreat. This is an
important issue particularly in large, remote dioceses where clergy meet each
other only once or twice a year. A
third session was Prayer in the life of diocesan clergy, in which we
discussed how to make the retreat itself a prayerful experience. The retreat
givers spoke of the ways each of them talks about prayer and prayerfulness
during a retreat, and what ‘exercises’ he may provide to help and encourage
people to pray (such as selected Scripture passages for lectio divina, or
meditation points after each talk). One
evening the participants were free to indicate topics which were of
particular interest to themselves, and form their own groups to discuss
these. Five groups formed around sometimes-overlapping themes – diocesan
spirituality; goals and planning of retreats; retreats as agents of healing;
diocesan priests talking to diocesan priests; and identifying the reasons why
some priests do not attend retreats. The
final session provided an opportunity to address any other issues and invited
the retreat givers to reflect on the question “what will I do differently,
next time I am leading a retreat for diocesan clergy?” An evaluation form
invited comments on the pluses and minuses of the gathering, and suggestions for
how this conversation can be carried forward and broadened. Two
other practical issues are worth noting. Extended meal times, and supper after
Night Prayer, provided opportunities for leisurely companionship, often
glass-in-hand. And participants agreed in advance to a fare equalisation scheme
in addition to the conference fee. Thus, a priest from suburban Sydney paid the
same travel amount as priests from Darwin and Cairns. The generosity of the
local priests and their religious communities made it feasible for others to
travel the long distances to attend. Some issues that emerged Duration
of the retreat. In about half the
dioceses in Australia the annual retreat begins on Sunday evening and concludes
at lunchtime on Friday. (In one diocese it does not finish until Saturday
morning). However, in other places the retreat does not begin until Monday
night, and/or finishes at breakfast on Friday. Diocesan
clergy often arrive at the retreat venue tired after the extra preparations
involved in getting away, with their usual weekend workload followed by the
travel to the retreat venue. It is to be expected that it will take two or three
days for a retreatant to feel relaxed and to have achieved some significant
stillness. There
was a strong consensus at the gathering that the longer the retreat, the better.
An obvious move would be to consider starting the retreat on Sunday evening if
this is not already happening, and continuing until Friday lunchtime if
possible. There
is also the possibility that a priest make a longer retreat which includes a
weekend away from his pastoral appointment, at least in some years. Such a
retreat may begin for example on a Wednesday evening and conclude the Thursday
morning of the following week. At least in the capital cities there are places
where such a retreat could be negotiated with retreat houses, houses of prayer
and similar. Diocesan directors in the capital cities might investigate
arranging such a retreat option and advertising it well in advance to the clergy
of neighbouring dioceses. Related
to this issue is the increasing practice of clergy being interrupted during
retreats, sometimes going back to their parishes, especially for funerals.
Everyone at the gathering understood something of the pressures upon
parish-based clergy but, as one participant commented, “when Jesus took his
disciples into the boat so that they could get away to a lonely place to be by
themselves for a while, would he have allowed James The Less to bring on board
his mobile phone?” The
spirituality of the diocesan priest.
When this topic was suggested for discussion in the time-slot devoted to
interests of particular concern, eight people took part – a retired diocesan
bishop and seven priests from religious orders! Yet, the issue was constantly
referred to in discussion throughout the gathering. Diocesan
priests have often found that their ordered spiritual life in the seminary takes
something of a battering when they begin their pastoral work. It is more
difficult to maintain a discipline of prayer, the Prayer of the Church is almost
always prayed on one’s own, and every day one has to prepare some reflections
on the Readings at Mass. Diocesan
priests are often diffident, sometimes almost ashamed, to speak openly about
their prayer life. It is often spoken of in terms of what it is not –
“I’m not praying the breviary as well as I should”, “I don’t meditate
as much as I ought to”, “I don’t make enough time for spiritual
reading”. They often feel they are falling short of some sort of idealised
“monastic” spirituality as they live their lives as “secular” priests,
“in the world”. All
participants, however, spoke of the great wellspring of wisdom and holiness that
many diocesan priests draw upon daily in the pastoral ministry. Grappling with
the Scriptures in preparation for their Sunday and weekday homilies means that,
as one priest noted, “the Lectionary becomes our companion”. If “wanting
to pray” is a first stage in prayer, then many diocesan priests are hard at
it. Nor can we underestimate the prayers said at traffic lights, or waiting for
the doorbell to be answered at a home where there has just been a bereavement.
It would simply not be possible for so many priests to maintain the quality of
their pastoral care if they did not have a deep, solid, humble spirituality. The
richness of the traditions of the religious orders.
Our discussion was often enriched with insights from the various religious
traditions of those taking part – Benedictine, Carmelite, Franciscan, Jesuit,
Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, Oblate and Redemptorist. All these traditions,
as well as others not represented, have much relevant wisdom to offer to
diocesan priests. Many participants commented that one of the blessings of the
gatherings was that priests from such different spiritual backgrounds and
traditions could engage so deeply on these matters. A religious priest said in
his evaluation form that one of the things he would do differently in future
retreats was to “respond to the diocesan call to hear more of my own prayer
life”. A diocesan priest said in his evaluation that “the gathering has
tapped into depths far greater than I imagined. It has been a pleasure and a
privilege to share in these days”. Retreat
teams. Retreat houses can offer
varying styles of retreats led by
teams consisting of clergy, religious and lay men and women. The preached
diocesan clergy retreats traditionally are led by a bishop or priest
or the occasional religious. Diocesan directors agreed that a team
approach, and the perspective of women members of a retreat team, could be
valuable assets to priests making a retreat. As a practical outcome, it may be
possible to arrange for an occasional clergy retreat in major metropolitan
cities to be conducted by such a retreat team, with invitations extended to
priests in neighbouring country dioceses. Similarly, more publicity can be given
to such retreats which are already part of the program of local retreat houses. Participants
were asked on their evaluation form for suggestions about how this
conversation can be carried forward and broadened. Some of the ideas that
were proposed included: ·
a written report of the meeting be
prepared and published ·
in time a newsletter could be
established for those willing to contribute, and/or a website be dedicated to
this topic ·
engaging someone or some body (a
theological institute?) to study the whole question of retreats for diocesan
priests ·
an article be written for The
Swag (the diocesan directors of Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane have agreed
to prepare this) ·
a national symposium be held on
priestly prayer and spirituality ·
evaluation forms be given to
retreatants after each retreat, and a survey form be filled out also by the
retreat director (what seemed to “work” this time, what did not, etc.) ·
invite priests around the country
to discuss “what are you looking for in a diocesan retreat?” and “what has
turned you off from them in the past?” This might take place in deanery
meetings, support groups, etc., with reports being forwarded to the diocesan
director ·
another gathering along these lines
be organised in about two years (2005), hoping that others who missed out this
time will be able to attend, ·
investigate the resources of the
Institute for Priestly Formation at Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska (www.creighton.edu/ipf/) In
the evaluation forms several participants said that the gathering had
been, itself, like a retreat, because of the spirit of prayerfulness throughout,
and because of the depth of discussion about spirituality. Other
comments included that one of the good things of the gathering was the
“meeting of consumers and producers!” (The exclamation mark is his). Another
said that “the presence of two bishops was a real plus”. Several
retreat givers said that, in future, they would spend time with the diocesan
director before the retreat, to try to get some sense of the unique features of
the group of priests who would be attending the retreat. One religious priest
said he would go so far as to try to visit every retreatant in his home parish
before the retreat. A
diocesan director added that “I was touched to hear the high regard and
respect in which diocesan priests are held – an appreciation of their busy,
isolated and sometimes lonely lives”. The
National Commission for Clergy Life and Ministry is keen to continue and foster
this discussion. I would welcome any feedback from individuals or from groups of
clergy. Email office@auspriest.org or
by mail to GPO Box, 3133 Canberra 2601. Peter BrockExecutive Officer
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