From July 8 – 10 a group of 27 people made their way to The Hermitage at Mittagong in the southern highlands of New South Wales, to take part in the annual Marist Mid-Winter Retreat. The retreat was a chance to slow down and reflect while experiencing the beautiful, tranquil environment of The Hermitage, and also enjoying the wonderful hospitality and delicious food prepared by The Hermitage staff.

The retreat was led by Brother Emili Turu, the former Superior General of the Marist Brothers, with the theme ‘Grace - a gift beyond measure’. In his gentle way Brother Emili walked us through ideas related to over distraction in our lives, the value of Christian contemplative prayer, spiritual intelligence and mysticism, the stages of life as seen through the eyes of grace, learning to savour the beauty of the world and, finally, to consider, “where to now - how can we be islands of coherence in a sea of chaos”?

The retreat allowed us time for silent personal reflection, an opportunity for a daily celebration of the Eucharist with Fr Anthony Casmento, who also joined us for the retreat, as well as community conversation in the evening.

Many thanks to Brother Emili for his wise and thought-provoking input, the Marist Mission and Life Formation Team, Fr Anthony and the staff of The Hermitage who all contributed to this enriching experience.

Donna Quinn
St Joesph’s College Hunters Hill
Marist Association Member