Fall Family Retreat
Dear Parents and Families,
The Parents and Families Fall Retreat and Festival of Life is coming up soon! As you know from Albino's messages, the dates are Friday, October 24-Sunday, October 26. Albino spoke with Mother Elvira. She confirmed that she is coming! Mother Elvira was last here in Florida five years ago. You can be guaranteed that she will probably not return here, due to her super demanding schedule with the missions. Her presence with us will be a blessing beyond description. Please speak to the families who attended the retreat with her five years ago. She changes lives. Yes, not only does she change the lives of your sons and daughters, but she changes our lives as well.
It is obvious that Mother Elvira was chosen by God to bring healing to those whom the rest of society deemed to be beyond help and beyond hope. God formed her so that she would be capable of this amazing work of mercy, so that she would reflect His hope to the hopeless and His love to those who are convinced that even God cannot possibly love them. Her penetrating eyes seem to see inside the heart, and her words speak truth, cutting to the core. Please take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to be with her and join us for the retreat weekend.
Unlike past years, THE RETREAT WILL BEGIN FRIDAY MORNING AT 8:00. Registration is at 7:30 a.m. MOTHER ELVIRA'S FIRST TALK WILL OPEN THE RETREAT, SO PLEASE ARRIVE ON THURSDAY. The weekend will end at 6:00p.m., Sunday, October 26.
Please inform your Regional Contact of the number people in your family who will attend the retreat and their names, rather than contacting us by phone or email. Your Regional Contact also will answer any questions you have regarding the retreat weekend.
The retreat site is Camp St. John on the grounds of Marywood Retreat Center. All 60 rooms at Marywood Retreat Center are available to us. The cost is $55/night for a single room, $65 for a double, and $75 for a triple. Every room contains a double bed and a single bed.
If you choose to stay at Marywood, please make the arrangements directly with Marywood Retreat Center, not with the Community or any local parents. The phone number at Marywood is 904-287-2525, and the website is www.marywoodcenter.org.
Camp St. John has two bunk bed dormitories, one for men and one for women, each housing 36 people. For those who bunk for the weekend at Camp St. John, the total cost for the entire retreat, bunk already included, is $85 per person. For those who stay elsewhere, the cost for the retreat itself is $65 per person. If you choose to stay at Camp St. John, please e-mail Bob Waller and let him know the number of beds needed for your family. If you stay in the bunks, you will need to bring your own sheets, towels, soap, shampoo, and other hygiene items. We encourage all of you to try to stay either at Camp St. John or at Marywood, because driving back and forth to motels interrupts the flow of the weekend.
Again, the retreat begins at 8:00 a.m. on Friday with Mother Elvira! Come, ready for many blessings!
Vaya con Dios
Joyce