Our annual 'Come and See' weekend retreat was held at the end of February at the Villa of Our Lady Retreat House in Mount Pocono. The retreat enabled participants to pray, talk with seminarians and Diocesan priests, and listen to presentations on discernment and seminary life. Bishop Bambera joined the group for evening prayer and dinner one of the nights. Those who attended seemed to appreciate and value the weekend experience.
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| The celebration of Mass at the weekend retreat |
Below are some reflections from those who participated in the weekend:
"My time spent at the retreat was refreshing. It gave me the opportunity for more time spent in prayer and contemplation. It also allowed me to deepen my relationship with God. What a great experience."
-Joshua M., Scranton
"The 'Come and See' weekend was great. I enjoyed the spiritual exercises and the time away from everything. It was a good opportunity to get to know our priests and seminarians better, and a get a glimpse of what it's like to be in their shoes. I got a new appreciation for the priestly vocation; what they do is really heroic. They gave good advice for men discerning the vocation, and I thought the environment was very comfortable and supportive. I'd recommend it to any young man who's serious about his faith."
-Adam T., Mountain Top
"This weekend was a great way to experience the love God has for each one of our futures, no matter where he may lead us in our day to day lives. Especially in this season of Lent, where we are called to come into the desert with Jesus to find a path in which we can love and serve our Lord in new ways which we never even imagined!"
-Andrew M., Dallas
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| Seminarian Bill Beechko leading Morning Prayer |
"The
'Come and See' weekend is one of the most important initiatives we offer in the
Diocesan Vocation Office. This weekend enables young men aged 18-35 to really
"retreat" and step away from their busy lives to give God a chance to
speak to their hearts in a very special way. Support from our Bishop,
seminarians, Assistant Vocation Directors, and other discerners allows them to
relax, pray, and ask questions that can appear frightening and overwhelming. The
experience of the seminarians, who have made this selfless commitment to God, provides discerners the opportunity to clarify any misconceptions and enables them to stay open and available. I've heard many
times over that the best part of the weekend is the informal conversations that occur in between the scheduled programming. Without rooting discernment in prayer, there is no
freedom, clarity, and capability to find the peace that God wants for anyone in
their individual lives."
-Father Don Williams, Diocesan Director of Vocations and Seminarians
For more information about retreats/programs sponsored by the Vocation Office, please call
(570) 207-1452.
(570) 207-1452.