Finding God in a New Season
Two-Night Retreat
September 4-6, 2026
Life unfolds in seasons. Some are filled with growth and clarity. Others bring unexpected loss, difficult transitions, new opportunities, or quiet invitations from God that we do not yet fully understand. Wherever you find yourself today, the Lord is already present and at work.
Join Deacon Scott Gilfillan, who has led many popular retreats at the Catholic Conference Center, for a reflective and practical journey into the changing landscape of your life. Through prayer, Scripture, guided reflection, and time for silence and personal prayer, you will learn to recognize God’s presence in your past, discern His voice in the present, and step forward with greater confidence into the season ahead.
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“The farther we journey, the less we know and the more we are called to trust.”
Henri Nouwen
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“Above all, trust in the slow work of God.”
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
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Timely Messages for all Seasons
1st conference: Looking Back
Where has God been?
Recognizing God in the seasons of your past
What if the most important clues for your future are hidden in your past? Through Scripture, prayer, and a guided Life Map exercise, you will revisit the seasons that shaped you and discover places where God was faithful long before you knew how to name His presence.
2nd conference: Looking Within
What is God doing now?
Listening to the present season
Transitions often reveal what is happening in the heart. This conference explores consolation and desolation, holy desires, interior freedom, and the subtle ways God speaks today. You will learn to notice what is giving life, what is draining life, and what invitation may already be emerging within you.
3rd conference: Looking Ahead
What is God inviting me toward?
Discerning God’s invitation
God rarely hands us the entire map. Like Abraham, Mary, Joseph, and Paul, we are usually given enough light for the next faithful step. This conference will help you distinguish fear from wisdom, ambition from vocation, and discover how God invites rather than pushes.
4th conference
How will I continue growing with the Lord?
Living prayerfully with the Lord
A retreat is not an escape from life; it is preparation to live life more attentively. You will leave with practical ways to remain close to the Lord through daily prayer, the Examen, silence, journaling, spiritual friendship, and a simple rule of life suited to your next season.
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“In the evening of life, we will be judged on love.”
St. John of the Cross
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A Retreat Schedule Just for You
(subject to change)
| Friday, September 4 | |
| 2:00 PM | Arrive, explore the grounds, visit the chapel |
| 5:30 PM | Evening Prayer |
| 6:00 PM | Drop-in Reception – Lounge |
| 6:30 PM | Dinner |
| 7:30 PM | 1st Conference: Looking Back: Recognizing God in the Seasons of Your Past |
| 9:00 PM | Night Meditation |
| Saturday, September 5 | |
| 7:00 AM | Morning Prayer and Adoration |
| 8:00 AM | Breakfast |
| 9:00 AM | 2nd Conference: Looking Within: Listening to the present season |
| 10:00 AM | Private reflection |
| 11:00 AM | Small Group Discussion (optional) |
| 12:00 PM | Lunch |
| 1:00 PM | 3rd Conference: Looking Ahead: Discerning God’s invitation |
| 2:00 PM | Private reflection or confession |
| 3:00 PM | Small Group Discussion (optional) |
| 5:00 PM | Vigil Mass |
| 6:00 PM | Dinner |
| 7:00 PM | Open Forum – Q&A |
| 9:00 PM | Night Prayer |
| Sunday, September 6 | |
| 7:00 AM | Morning Prayer and Adoration |
| 8:00 AM | Breakfast |
| 9:00 AM | 4th Conference: Walking Forward: Living prayerfully with the Lord |
| 10:00 AM | Resolutions |
| 11:00 AM | Blessing and dismissal |
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“Let nothing disturb you, let nothing frighten you.
All things are passing; God never changes.
Patience obtains all things.
Whoever has God lacks nothing. God alone suffices.“
St. Teresa of Avila, “The Bookmark”
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Exceptional Retreat Atmosphere
Indoor and outdoor reflection areas
In addition to the thoughtful meditations, there will be plenty of time to pray and reflect upon God’s plan for you. For those who prefer doing this in a sacred space, there is a beautiful chapel and several indoor and outdoor reflection places. For those who are more active, there are trails cut through our 180 acres. The more ambitious can take a short drive or a long hike to Baker Mountain Park. Added to the outdoor space are a horseshoe pit, a bonfire, and even some corn-hole boards.
Nicely appointed rooms and fine dining
The lodging rooms were fully renovated in 2015. Each room has two full-sized beds and a private bath. Our dining area has an exceptionally qualified full-time chef with a wide range of culinary expertise. The dining room has also been recently renovated. The meeting room has cathedral ceilings and spectacular views.
Grace-filled encounters
There will be several hours of Adoration for those who want to immerse themselves in the retreat. The chapel is open all night for those who want to have a more intimate encounter with the Lord. Some delight in the thought of sleeping under the same roof as the Blessed Sacrament, and many are known to make late-night visits to the chapel.
Meet your Retreat Master
Deacon Scott D. Gilfillan is the Founder and Executive Director of the Font of Mercy. At the Font of Mercy, he leads retreats, offers spiritual direction, and writes a popular blog on practical spirituality. He previously served the Diocese of Charlotte as the Director of the Catholic Conference Center, and before that, the Director of Formation for Deacons. In addition to his work at the Font of Mercy, he is an adjunct faculty member for Divine Mercy University’s School of Spiritual Direction, where he teaches classes on advanced prayer and discernment. He’s been a deacon since 2001, and his ministry has been focused on Matthew 25, helping the “least among us”: the prisoner, the elderly, the hungry, and the homeless. Even amidst the hopelessness of these populations, Deacon Scott has delivered a message of hope.
Registration
- Single, one person per room: $350.
- Shared room (two persons per room): $300 per person. NOTE: If you’re sharing a room, you must have selected your own roommate, and only one person will register for both.
Space is limited to 30 people, so register early!
Cancellation Policy: A full refund will be granted up to two weeks before the retreat. We will need a minimum of 15 people to host this retreat. If we don’t reach the minimum, a refund will be granted to all who have registered.
My Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think I am following your will
does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you
does in fact please you.
And I hope that I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road,
though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always though
I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me,
and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.
Thomas Merton, “Thoughts in Solitude”