Rosie Huray of St. John the Baptist in New Brighton is going … and she won’t be alone.

Huray and about 20 women from her parish plan to join others across the archdiocese at a one-day women’s retreat of talks and reflection Sept. 28 at Epiphany in Coon Rapids, sponsored by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ Office of Evangelization.

“It’s a great way for Catholic women to come together and pray together,” she said.

Several of the women will offer intercessory prayer for retreatants, said Huray, who is helping to organize the effort and is a member of such a group of men and women at her parish who once a month pray with people after Sunday Masses.
Titled “Living Grace: Seeing the Extraordinary in the Ordinary,” the retreat will include a morning Mass with Auxiliary Bishop Andrew Cozzens and afternoon eucharistic adoration and Benediction with Archbishop Bernard Hebda, prayer teams and confession.

There will be breakfast and lunch and three talks: “Our Perfect Mother: Why We need the Blessed Virgin,” with Nell O’Leary, a member of St. Agnes in St. Paul and managing editor of Catholic women’s ministry Blessed is She; “Healing the Culture Through Friendship and Hospitality,” with Dia Boyle, a writer from Nativity in St. Paul; and “Living a Liturgical Life,” with Father Brian Park, pastor of Annunciation in Minneapolis and a member of the Companions of Christ, a fraternity of diocesan priests and seminarians.

Breaks between talks will provide time for prayer and to wander the campus at Epiphany, said Susanna Parent, evangelization manager in the Office of Evangelization.

“We want to provide a quiet experience, encouraging women and instilling more peace,” Parent said.

Parent worked with a core group of about six young and middle-age women to help plan the retreat, which was organized at the request of women who are involved in a variety of ministries in the archdiocese.

“We are looking to meet the spiritual needs of our archdiocesan faithful,” said Crystal Crocker, director of the Evangelization Office.

WANT TO GO?

What: Archdiocesan Women’s Retreat
When: Sept. 28, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: Epiphany, Coon Rapids
Cost: $40
Information and registration: archspm.org/womensretreat