RCDV Catechists' Annual Fall Retreat
About this Event
Join Us for the RCDV Catechists' Annual Fall Retreat!
Get ready for an inspiring and rejuvenating in-person gathering. This annual retreat is a wonderful opportunity to connect, reflect, and recharge with fellow catechists. Expect meaningful conversations, inspiring presentations, and plenty of community spirit. Don't miss out on this special time to grow and relax together as we begin a new year of Ministry to the children, youth, and young adults in our Diocese!
Agenda
🕑: 10:30 AM - 04:45 PM
RCDV Catechists' Annual Fall Retreat: Go, Build My Church!
Host: In honour of St. Francis of Assisi
Info: In this Jubilee Year in honour of the 800 anniversary of the death of beloved St. Francis of Assisi, you are warmly invited to join us for a special day of prayer, learning, community building, and rejuvenation!
🕑: 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Registration/Morning Beverages and Snacks
🕑: 11:00 AM
Welcome/Opening Prayer/Land Acknowledgement
Host: Joelle Dressler
🕑: 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
Cherished Belonging
Host: Joelle Dressler
Info: Based on the wisdom of Fr. Greg Boyle's most recent book, our opening session will offer spiritual nourishment to all in attendance! Reflecting upon the core themes of Radical Kinship, The Power of Attention, and Joy in Connection, we will explore how we belong to each other - no exceptions! Refresh your perspective towards yourself and towards those you serve with a new understanding that the answer to every question is compassion. Joelle enjoyed a 39 year career as an Elementary teacher prior to serving Island Catholic Schools and parishes in the Diocese of Victoria as the Director of Faith Formation and Evangelization since June 2023.
🕑: 12:15 PM
Lunch and Community Building
Info: Enjoy a delicious lunch from local eatery, Gyrosa! Modern, fresh, traditional Greek street food that will meet all dietary needs!
🕑: 01:15 PM - 02:15 PM
Go, Repair My Church!
Host: Fr. Dave Norman, O.F.M.
Info: Early on in St Francis of Assisi’s turn to the Lord, he heard the call of God while he was praying at the foot of the crucifix in the rundown church of San Damiano, a small church on the outskirts of Assisi. What Francis realized was that he was chosen by Christ to witness to the cross, that is, to follow in the footsteps of the Lord Jesus Christ. If the house of God was in disrepair it was not because the building was dilapidated. The Church was in disrepair because her members were not witnessing faithfully enough to the love of God poured out in the cross of Christ. If we Christians are to right the wrongs of our world, be they wrongs against our fellow human beings, against our fellow creatures on this earth or against the whole created world that comes from God and is returning to God, then we must embrace the cross of Christ. Fr. Dave Norman, ordained in 1980, taught at Newman Theological College from 1991-2025. Fr. Dave currently serves as the Guardian of St. Joseph Friary.
🕑: 02:15 PM - 02:45 PM
Comfort Break
🕑: 02:45 PM - 03:45 PM
La Verna: Encountering Christ Crucified in Solitude
Host: Rainier Lagman
Info: After hearing the voice of the Crucified Christ at San Damiano, Saint Francis spent the rest of his life seeking to draw closer to the Lord. This journey of love and discipleship eventually led the poor man of Assisi to La Verna, a place where he withdrew in prayer and solitude to be alone with Christ.
Inspired by Francis' Prayer Before the Crucifix, we too are invited to enter into our own La Verna experience. Through silence, personal reflection, and prayer, we will step into our own caves, those quiet places within our hearts where we can meet Christ Crucified and spend time with Him alone. In the stillness of His presence, we will bring before Him our desires, struggles, and hopes, asking for the same graces that Francis sought: true faith, certain hope, perfect charity, and the wisdom to follow God's holy will.
Rainier is pursuing a Master of Theological Studies at Saint Mark’s College and has served as the Assistant Director of Faith Formation and Evangelization since June 1st.
🕑: 03:45 PM - 04:45 PM
On the Way Together - Conversation in the Spirit
Host: Rainier Lagman
Info: Guided by the Holy Spirit, this journey invites the whole Diocese to listen to God and to one another, to walk together in shared responsibility, and to bring Good News to the world—especially to those who are hurting or on the margins. On the Way Together (Diocesan Permanent Pastoral Synod) is the Diocese of Victoria’s long-term commitment to becoming a more deeply listening Church. It is not a program with an end date, but a way of being Church—rooted in prayer, grounded in the Gospel, and shaped by the lived experience of the People of God. We look forward to listening to one another in small groups to finish our sessions together and prepare our hearts for the Mass.
🕑: 05:00 PM - 06:00 PM
Eucharistic Liturgy
Host: Fr. Alfredo Monacelli
Info: Join us as we celebrate Mass together at St. Joseph the Worker Parish. What a beautiful way to complete our retreat, worshipping together after a day of spiritual nourishment!
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
CAD 0.00
