New Year’s Retreat
Rebuilding Your Temple
Two Nights: December 30, 2022, to January 1, 2023
What better way to start a new year than to go on a retreat in a beautiful setting, sacred spaces, and great dining? Our favorite retreat master is back, Franciscan Friar Father Peter Tremblay. He preaches with both power and compassion. People leave his retreats with their heads spinning and their hearts filled with the Holy Spirit. There’ll be an opportunity for private reflection, Adoration, Mass, and confession. We’ll also have some traditional New Year’s festivities and a banquet dinner. Don’t miss this opportunity to enter the New Year with a newly remodeled temple for the Holy Spirit.
Powerful Conferences
Based on Fr. Peter Tremblay’s popular retreat entitled, “You are the Temple of the Holy Spirit”, the retreat will help you begin the New Year as the new temple of the Holy Spirit. The retreat will first explore the biblical understanding of temple theology, then how the Spirit of God went from dwelling in the Jerusalem Temple to dwelling in the baptized and in the Church. Most importantly, you’ll discover how the Spirit of God is dwelling in you to make you a new creation. The theme will be divided into four conferences:
Temple Story: God’s home in creation
From the beginning, God had a beautiful plan for creation, and with it, had a preeminent role for men and women in this plan. Sadly, God’s original plan was corrupted by Fall of Adam and Eve. The beginning of a New Year is a perfect time to ponder the possibilities of a creation ordered to God’s original purpose and your proper role in God’s beautiful temple.
Temple Worship: Sacrifice to God
The worship of the people of Israel centered around animal sacrifice. But in the words of the Prophet Hosea, the Lord desires “mercy, not sacrifice.” (6:6) Begin the New Year on a retreat to let the Lord create in you “a new heart and steadfast spirit” and join the prayer of the psalmist, “My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit, a humble, contrite heart you will not spurn.” (Ps 51)
Temple Vocation: Renewal of Creation
After the Fall, God did not give up but continued the task of restoring creation to its original beauty and man and woman to their original dignity. The New Year is an excellent time to consider both God’s renewal of creation and God’s renewal of your heart.
Temple Food: Give us this day our daily bread
The temple story unfolds with Melchizedek’s sacrifice of bread and wine, God’s manna in the desert, and the bread of the divine presence in the temple. All of these point to the Eucharist, where the divine Bread of Life becomes our food. Let this New Year be one where you’re nourished with this food and become bread for a hungry world.
Exceptional Retreat Atmosphere
Indoor and outdoor reflection areas
In addition to the engaging sessions, there will be plenty of time to pray and reflect upon the words and 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, there is a horseshoe pit, a bonfire, and even some corn-hole boards.
Great retreat lodging 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 and has a 100% sanitation rating. The meeting room has cathedral ceilings and spectacular views.
Grace-filled encounters
For those who want to immerse themselves into the retreat, there will be several scheduled hours of Adoration, Mass, as well as time for confession, The chapel is open all night for those who want to have a more intimate encounter with the Lord. To break the ice, the retreat will begin with an optional social before dinner, where participants can bring a beverage of their choice.
A Retreat Schedule Just for You
| Friday, December 30 | |
| 2:00 PM | Check-in – call ahead if you need an earlier check-in |
| 5:00 PM | Evening Prayer |
| 5:30 PM | “Welcome Reception” for those interested |
| 6:00 PM | Dinner |
| 7:00 PM | 1st Reflection |
| 9:00 PM | Free Time, Social Time |
| Saturday, December 31 | |
| 7:00 AM | Adoration and Benediction |
| 8:00 AM | Breakfast |
| 9:00 AM | 2nd Reflection |
| 11:15 AM | Mass |
| 12:00 PM | Lunch |
| 1:00 PM | 3rd Reflection |
| 2:30 PM | Confession, free time |
| 6:00 PM | New Year’s Eve Banquet Dinner |
| 7:30 PM | Resolutions |
| 9:00 PM | Free time, Social, New Year’s Festivities |
| Sunday, January 1 | |
| 7:00 AM | Adoration and Benediction |
| 8:30 AM | Holy Mass – Solemnity, Mary Mother of God |
| 10:00 AM | Closing brunch |
Meet Our Retreat Master: Fr. Peter Tremblay
Born and raised in Buffalo, N.Y., Father Peter Tremblay attended Franciscan University of Steubenville and joined the Franciscan Friars after graduating. He received a master’s of divinity from Washington Theological Union in Washington, D.C., and has been an ordained Catholic priest since 2012. He has taught philosophy and theology, ministered in parish settings, and led powerful retreats at the center in the past.
Pricing
The special price is $345 per person, one person per room; $275 per person, two persons per room. This includes all meals including a New Year’s banquet and party favors, 2 nights’ lodging plus access to our beautiful facilities, trails, and outdoor meditation areas. For those who don’t need lodging, there is a commuter rate of $150 per person.