St Beuno’s
Saturday, October 13, 2018 by Sharon
My room is the third floor up, the open window between the drainpipes.
The main house and part of the garden terraces.
Super comfy bed!
My window, now my desktop image on my PC
View from the chair in my room of the upper gardens.
Welcome card!
Flowers on my window sill, they smelt divine!
As promised I thought I’d share something of my time at St Beuno’s, a Jesuit Spirituality Centre in North Wales. I went there at the end of June this year and, although it’s been on my Bucket List for a few years, I can’t actually remember what finally prompted me to book an individually guided [silent] retreat. One minute I was just browsing their website and the next the retreat was booked and paid for and the train tickets purchased with only two weeks to wait! I’m not usually known for that level of spontaneity, but sometimes the stars just align and you have to go with it. As the previous posts explain I was in the middle of a bit of a crisis of denomination which I’d been unable to resolve on my own. I knew about St Beuno’s from a three part, BBC documentary I’d watched back in 2010, “The Big Silence”. It was later released on DVD but I’ve checked and it seems to be ‘currently unavailable’ so I’m sorry, but I can’t link it for you. I bought it a few years ago because I enjoyed the documentary so much, certainly worth buying if you ever see a copy.
I didn’t have a set agenda for the retreat other than to just go and be open to whatever came my way. I was in such a mess spiritually that I just hoped for a bit of clarity and direction really. I’ve also found, having been on a few retreats before, that if you go with a ‘shopping list’ of things you want to achieve they rarely happen. We make plans and God laughs, as the saying goes.
I caught the midday train out of MK with a view to arriving in Rhyll just after 3pm. I’d booked my taxi in advance and, like a star, he was there waiting for me at the station. I finally walked through the huge front door of St B’s at 3.45pm. Super friendly welcome and my room was just gorgeous, I’d splashed out on an ensuite room as I was only there for the weekend and it was so worth it; absolutely immaculate too. I was up on the Priest’s Gallery and the view was outstanding. I was left to unpack with the promise of coffee downstairs. I found my itinerary on the desk in my room; I was all set.
There were a few of us there just for the weekend [other longer retreats were happening at the same time] and we were each allotted a Spiritual Guide. Mine was Helen and she was so calm and wise. God chose well! I worried that entering into the Silence would be difficult and I knew I didn’t have long to adjust, but not at all, I literally ‘RAN’ into that silence and embraced it immediately. Obviously much needed! It’s made much easier by the gentle ethos of the place and the fact that everyone around you is also being silent. I quickly settled into the daily rhythm. The gardens and breath-taking scenery are also very conducive to contemplation and self-discovery. It’s not boring, oppressive or stifling as some might think, more welcoming and comforting. I had a sense of anticipation….because there in the silence….sooner or later….you find….God!
We met with our guides at least once everyday at a set time, I met with Helen twice on the last day. You’re advised to enter into prayer three or more times a day. There is Eucharist everyday in the main chapel and a smaller chapel for your use with various other rooms set aside for prayer or reflection. The gardens are stunning and perfect for prayer and reflection. Lots of beautiful walks due to the location. A large library for your use. A fully stocked art room is available for those who enjoy being creative as part of their expression of faith. The food was yummy and plenty of it with drinks available all day. I was blown away quite frankly and I’d return in a heartbeat, in fact I plan to do so as soon as I can.
Being a Jesuit Centre you are introduced to a lot of Ignatian spiritual exercises to help you pray, meditate, centre and focus. I also used art, scripture and poetry to help me while I was there. I’d never used images before and it was quite a revelation and very productive, I’d always actively shied away from using art but I’ve no idea why because it was amazing! I’ve continued using religious pictures since I’ve been home with equal sucess. I have an affinity with Ignatian spirituality and have become a bit of a closet Jesuit over the last few years. It’s a charism that fits well into daily life and can be lived out very successfully in both a secular or monastic setting. THIS book by Fr James Martin, SJ was what started my Jesuit journey, but there is a plethora of information and resources online should you be interested. Fr Martin has also written many other amazing and eminently readable titles which I can’t recommend highly enough.
So, the end of the retreat came all too soon and Helen and I felt a weekend just wasn’t long enough. However, as I mentioned before, she promised to put me in touch with a Sister local to me, which you may have read about in the previous posts, and that meeting proved to be a complete blessing. Usually when I leave a retreat I find it really difficult to readjust back in to regular life, particularly the noise lol. However, this time I very much brought the peace and stillness with me and I avoided the usual post-retreat hangover as I pretty much floated my way through the next few weeks. With Helen’s guidance, I had achieved so much in such a short time and was very much back ontrack spiritually speaking; things have gone from strength to strength since. God’s hand was all over the preparations and the success of that weekend. The ressurection of this blog is also a testimony to that as I feel I actually have something I want to share and write about again.
If you ever get the chance to go on a retreat, be that religious or otherwise, then I’d strongly suggest you do it. Some places offer Quiet Days which are equally valuable and don’t involve quite such a commitment of time or money. Our lives are so busy and noisy that time alone in silence and stillness can be hugely beneficial to both your spirit and your mental health.
Every blessing. . . .
Sharon xx
[click on an individual photograph at the top of the post to see it enlarged]
Posted in Bible Study, Books/Reading, Daily Life, Faith, Ignatian Spirituality, Jesuit, Prayer, Scripture, Spirituality | Tagged Christianity, Faith, Ignatian Spirituality, Jesuit, Prayer, Religion, Retreat, Silence, Spiritual Exercises, Spirituality, St Beunos, Stillness | 4 Comments
Sounds like a wonderful weekend, I’d love to do something like that.
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Hi Creative Pixie ~ Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment.
It was a truly wonderful weekend, the benefits of which are still with me today. If you ever get the chance I can’t recommend it highly enough. However, I appreciate that not everyone has the funds, time or opportunity to do something like this but there are books available to do an Ignatian Retreat at home. There are also Spiritual Exercises available online should you want to give them a go in your own time. I’ve linked a couple of examples below. xx
An example of an Ignatian Retreat at Home book = Retreat at Home
Useful Website listing the Spiritual Exercises over a four week period =Spirtual Exercises
I hope this helps.
Every blessing
Sharon xx
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How wonderful to stumble upon your blog and find someone else who loves St Beunos. It’s one of my favourite places, in fact, I’m booked in for a retreat there at the end of the month. So glad you enjoyed your first stay there. May there be many more!
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Hi Jane ~ it was so lovely. I hope you have a fabulous time on your upcoming visit there. Thank you for stopping by xx Sharon xx
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