Women engage in small-group discussion during a February diocesan retreat held at Trinity Woods in Trego. (Submitted photo)
Jenny Snarski
Catholic Herald Staff
Three retreat weekends for adults were hosted by the Diocese of Superior this winter, organized by the Office of Evangelization and Missionary Discipleship’s associate director, Loree Nauertz.
“Once again, the retreats were well received. It is such a gift to see the men and women of our diocese, and beyond, come together with such a joyful desire to worship together and grow in their love for Christ,” Nauertz shared.
Office director Christopher Hurtubise commented, “The men’s and women’s retreats were filled with so many graces again this year. Over the course of these weekends, there is just a tidal wave of graces: so many deep, deep confessions. So much beautiful time with the Lord in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Such powerful preaching and teaching, leading the participants into a depth of prayer and lives of richer discipleship. So many connections with brothers or sisters from around the diocese and important relationships built or deepened. As we are finishing these retreats, we are already eager to provide the diocese with the gift of them again next year.”
More than 70 attended the men’s January retreat, and almost 250 women attended over the first two weekends in February.
The clustered parishes of Rice Lake had the highest participation for both men’s and women’s retreats. Spooner- and Medford-area clusters were also well represented by the men, with Medford also sending a group of women. Other clusters with high participation in the women’s retreats were Hayward and New Richmond. More than a dozen women attended from other dioceses.
Dcn. Patrick Gierl attended, with the Holy Spirit as his primary motivator. “A busy work schedule is the toughest thing to overcome, but when you give it to the Holy Spirit, he makes things possible.”
The deacon invited his son, who is a senior in high school, and said he wanted to share the experience before his son “is off and running. I prayed for him and I to have this time, and the Holy Spirit made it happen.” The retreat gave father and son “nuggets to chew on,” and he sees the fruits from their growing relationship and knowledge of each other.
“I am proud of how Charlie engaged with the other men and his openness to the Spirit. This was a great way to prepare Charlie for going out into the world after school and confirming to him that I am always there,” the father affirmed.
Lee Sims from Cathedral Parish in Superior is the father to four younger children. He has looked forward to the annual retreat for almost five years, making it a priority “because it’s an experiential reminder and reset of what we as Catholic men are called to be.
“Daily life can be overwhelmed by a secular worldview, and these retreats help remind and encourage me to live my Catholic faith in all aspects of my life.” Acknowledging both the challenge of stepping away and the fruit of spending time with men he knows and meeting others, “God takes this retreat time and make it incredibly fruitful … it provides a deep dive into the message of how to be a strong Catholic man by ‘manning my post’ through holiness and being the absolute best I can be in my duties at home and work.”
A highlight for Sims is the afterhours social time shared among the men as well as the opportunity for confession. Returning home, he sees that what has been most effective is not necessarily new commitments that “might not stick,” but rather a more convicted perspective and commitment to be a man of God and prayer and dependence on God and his grace in this endeavor. He said every year he gets something new from attending.
Ashley Shuman has also attended four retreats. She is in her 30s, a mother of two and an elementary school teacher. “Attending the women’s retreat is never a question of ‘if’ – just a question of which weekend. It’s a guarantee that I will be there, and I look forward to it all year long,” she said.
Shuman loves to see how the Holy Spirit guides the presentations, with “a specific word for each heart in the audience, no matter where each heart is.” Her personal prayer was that her experience would be something that she could carry back into “everyday life and responsibilities.”
“I prayed only for truth and to be inspired to show up in my prayer life every day, especially when I don’t feel like it,” she added. “And that’s exactly what the Lord gave me.”
She was reminded to simply be faithful to her spiritual life, “that love isn’t based on emotion or consolation, but an act of the will.” The message she received was “faithfulness and flexibility,” which were exactly what she needed to hear. The fruits of her retreat have been obvious since returning home, with “faithfulness in prayer” as the greatest. She has also seen a “renewed excitement for family prayer time” in her children, and experienced personal joy from “spending intentional time with Jesus.”
“The retreat really helped quench my thirst after a long season in a spiritual desert,” Shuman said.
For Amy Peters, mom of five from Rice Lake, this was her seventh retreat. She attends annually “because it was always so impactful” on her faith, and she draws on what she receives during the rest of the year.
Peters shared her experience of going home after the weekend’s “mountaintop” experience alongside sisters in Christ. “As we leave, we carry with us new inspiration in tangible ways to grow in our faith” and renewal in the sacraments, as well as being blessed by making deeper bonds with other women of faith.
New mom Sari Althoff attended from her home parish of St. Patrick in Hudson, where she serves as Worship Director. Not having been on retreat since college, she looked forward to her first retreat as an adult and sharing time with friends.
The chance to lead worship with musician Aly Aleigha throughout the weekend was a memorable experience for Althoff, a convert to Catholicism.
“There is something so fulfilling about offering your gifts up and seeing how God uses them to touch others and bring them closer to him,” she said.
Sharing a song about the Eucharist she wrote after receiving her First Communion, Althoff was particularly moved to hear how the song’s lyrics met some women “exactly where they’re at.”
“Retreats are mirrors, showing you where you’re at in your spiritual life,” she commented, adding that the speakers, talks, music and group discussions all help attendees to reflect on their relationship with Jesus and its fruits.
One of the things Althoff was struck by was the variety of ages in attendance, from older teens to women in their 80s. “No matter the stage in life, we were all there to grow towards Christ, and that is a beautiful thing,” she said.
The challenge to spend time with God daily was a commitment she took home from the retreat, realizing in a new way that “You can’t know someone if you don’t actually spend time with them.”
Kathy Ramassini is retired and enjoys having the time to volunteer at her parish, St. Mary’s in Tomahawk. While she has attended diocesan events, this year was her first time participating in the women’s retreat. The widow of a permanent deacon, she was encouraged to attend by a newly formed “Deacon Wives Group.”
She felt the speaker was “an exceptional choice” with her talks forming “a pathway building toward a fresh understanding of women’s role in our faith.” She also appreciated the “wonderful opportunity” to connect with old friends and make new ones.
“This retreat experience left me energized and equipped with an enthusiastic Catholic attitude to take back to my parish.” In ministries she is involved with at her church, Ramassini looks forward to sharing what she received as well as the benefits of taking the time “to slow down and truly appreciate the joy of being Catholic.”
Cheryl Maki, newly retired, attended for her fourth year. She said the weekend gets blocked on her calendar to ensure she can attend, and each year it gets better.
This year she was pleased to be joined by her sister, whom Maki has invited in the past. The sisters shared a conversation prompted by one presentation. Discussing “Who does God say that you are?” the sisters walked and talked, building on each other’s responses.
She added that adoration and confession are always highlights. One other particularly moving experience for Maki, a singer herself, was Sari Althoff’s song, “More of You.” Maki also appreciated the renovations at Trinity Woods and the devoted chapel as a “beautiful space to have some quiet time with the Lord.”
Entering this new stage of life, Maki looks forward to having more time to dedicate to further spiritual reflection.
One attendee also commented on Bishop James P. Powers’ commitment and dedication in joining the retreats: “It’s really quite a remarkable gift that he carves out the entire weekend for all of the retreats to be there with us.”
