Blessed with two days of break from the many tasks to accomplish in preparation for the opening of the School Year 2023-2024, the faculty and staff of Colegio de la Inmaculada Concepcion (CIC-Pototan), St. Joseph School (SJS-Guimaras) and St. James Catholic High School - Maasin) had a fruitful and heartwarming retreat at the Carmelite Missionaries Center of Life (CMCL) in Dueñas, Iloilo on July 21-22, 2023. We were gifted with a retreat facilitator in the person of Sr. Nori Marquez, F.I. who helped us understand the essence of a retreat - to dedicate time and space to pray to lead to an encounter with God, with ourselves, with others, and with the natural world. Our soul needs spiritual exercise, too, the way we dedicate physical exercise to our bodies.

Though too short, nevertheless, this spiritual nourishment had brought forth something special in all of us to create a space for God in our hearts and to recognize the Creator’s manifold work in our life. We felt the retreat to be meaningful and with depth. It was truly a blessing to know again Mother Candida deeply and the opportunity to relate the significant and painful experiences in her life with our own life story. It was a great source of grace to strengthen our faith and to become closer to God. We also realized that it was not the length of time that matters to achieve something personal and unique in a retreat, rather, it depends on our disposition to be open and to attune ourselves to God’s grace. We are grateful!

By Lane Sumagaysay

ECHOES FROM THE HEART OF THE PARTICIPANTS,

I am wonderfully made. I can make a difference in the life of others.

I am thankful for this experience.

I am grateful to be refreshed and to be reconnected with God.

Thank you for giving us new insights to become better educators.

I experienced healing as I shared with others.

The tree planting was meaningful.

I learned to see my circumstance in life from a different perspective.

I trust God’s purpose in my life.

Listening to nature’s pure music while praying was such an amazing thing.

I am touched for this is the first time I felt so close to talking with God.

I am grateful for God’s grace in my everyday life.

I treasure deeply this time to be with the Lord.

I feel happy, thankful, and blessed during the retreat.

I would like to be more faithful and dedicated to my work.

I go back bringing the inspiration of St. Candida.

I appreciate the Eucharistic celebration to conclude the retreat.