Retreat to focus on spectrum of health

The organizer of an upcoming four-day retreat, "ReMembering -- Body, Mind, Soul and Spirit," hopes it's the prototype of holistic retreats in the future.

The retreat will be held at Christ the King Spiritual Life Center in Greenwich. Although that's an arm of the Episcopal Diocese, the six retreat leaders are all Roman Catholics.

For example, Bruce Gardiner, a member of St. Bridget's parish in Copake Falls, came up with the idea for the series of workshops and interactive exercises that will include centering prayer and talks on contemplative living.

'Pentecost' moment

The retreat team hopes to empower Catholics with what Mr. Gardiner called a "Pentecost experience like that of the Apostles, that is, an experience of personal empowerment and renewed 'holy daring.'"

He said that the theology behind the retreat comes from the writings of St. Teresa of Avila.

A variety of interactive experiences will lead participants in a "heartfelt experience of a deepening 'yes' to God's presence and action in our lives," he added. "'ReMembering' was chosen for the title of the retreat because it describes the reawakening to the presence of God that abides in us."

Health spectrum

Mr. Gardiner has wanted to present a retreat like "ReMembering" for many years.

"I've always believed that spiritual, physical, emotional and mental health is co-dependent," he explained. "I've had a lifelong interest in the techniques that will be presented at the retreat. The team members bring a wealth of experience in all four areas of wellness that we want to touch upon. Their collective experience includes catechesis, music, graphic artistry, centering prayer and meditative technique."

Several of the leaders are graduates of the Albany diocesan Formation for Ministry program; one is a therapist; and another is a registered nurse and music practitioner.

"Together, we bring a combined 200-plus years of training and teaching experience to this retreat," he noted.

God's gift

Mr. Gardiner said that his idea for the retreat developed as a result of years of noticing a deteriorating sense of the value and dignity of the human person within society.

"Care of the body is not only a theology, as expressed by Pope John Paul II; it is also a sacred responsibility," he noted. "Somewhere along the line, however, we seem to have lost the concept that our bodies and our lives are a gift from God.

"As Catholics, we believe that God loves us just the way we are, and this unconditional love can be empowering to each of us if we can simply let that love empower us."

Uniqueness

Mr. Gardiner said that the purpose of the retreat is to renew an awareness of God's unconditional love and develop an appreciation of the body as gift.

"Hopefully, in reawakening that appreciation, each person will be able to transcend the cultural conditioning that compels us to change who we are and, in the process, learn to appreciate our individual uniqueness," he said. "If that can occur, then we can resume our God-given directive to continue our own formation, becoming the person that God intended each of us to be."

Some of the workshops include yoga, cardio-walking and resistance training, meditation, intimacy with God and introduction to centering prayer, and healing exercises.

(The retreat, July 26-29, will be held at Christ the King Spiritual Life Center in Greenwich. For information and registration, call Bruce Gardiner at 325-5546.)

(7/19/07)