Great joy at Carmelite retreat
By Wendy Shaw
Helping people to deepen their prayer lives and grow in their relationship with God were two of the aims of a Carmelite spirituality retreat in Launceston last month.
Co-ordinator of the Launceston Carmelite Secular Order, Sandra Walkling, said people from around the state, as well as from Singapore and China, attended the annual retreat, which was held at the Emmanuel Centre on 24-26 November.
“Fr Paul Maunder, a Carmelite friar based in Sydney, was our spiritual guide throughout the weekend and he challenged us to look more deeply into our relationship with God, even when the journey seems rocky and dark,” Sandra said.
“He gave us many insights on how the Carmelite saints could help us and guided us into the writings of both St Teresa of Avila and of St John of the Cross, who are both Doctors of the Church due to their teachings on prayer.
“During the weekend we had the opportunity to speak with Fr Paul individually and we also had Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament on the Saturday evening.
“It was also a great joy to spend time in the beautiful prayer room with the Lord, now set up in the Emmanuel Centre.”
The Carmelite Secular Order, which marks its 20th anniversary in Launceston this year, is part of the Carmelite family with monthly meetings at the Carmelite Monastery in West Launceston, Sandra added.
She urged those who feel that God is calling them to grow closer to Him and have the desire to belong to a community to get in touch with her for more information about the secular order.
For details, please contact Sandra Walkling on 6331 4991.