Father Rasch and three parishioners (Gretchen Martin, Stephen Gallardo, and Ken Kubo) attended the diocesan retreat held this past weekend at the Mater Dolorosa Passionist Center in Sierra Madre.

The Center is a beautiful facility located at the foot of Mt. Wilson, founded in 1924 by Passionist brothers. The Passionists are members of a Roman Catholic order that emphasize the remembrance of the sufferings and death of Jesus as the path to understanding and appreciating God’s love and sacrifice. The grounds include meeting rooms, several prayer gardens, fountain courts, and an outdoor Stations of the Cross.

The retreat consisted of a series of meditations and services from the traditional Liturgy of the Hours (midday Mass, Evensong, Compline, Matins). Archdeacon Burton Swan of St. Ignatius of Antioch (Riverside) conducted the retreat. The theme focused on the traditional ascetic triad of purification, illumination, and unification. Each of the three meditations began with prayer and a set of readings, followed by an hour and a half of silent contemplation; many attendees chose to walk around the beautiful grounds or visit the gardens as an aid.

The meals were simple and abundant, the rooms austere and comfortable (and free of televisions!), and the (nominally) silent fellowship warm. The “quiet day” refreshed and uplifted the spirits of all attendees. We commend Archdeacon Swan and Bob Teuchert (who handled all the coordination with the facility) for their efforts in this highly successful retreat.

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