The Code of Canon Law broadly requires every priest, religious and seminarian to make an annual retreat. This week, I feel blessed to be joining the bishops of this ecclesiastical province (Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota) for our annual retreat.
We are being led this year by Father Wayne Sattler, a gifted priest of the Diocese of Bismarck, who is sharing with us rich insights into the dynamics of prayer that he has drawn from the writings and life of the Carmelite mystics, St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross.
While the Church most often speaks of the annual retreat as an obligation, reasoning that it is a sine qua non for effective pastoral ministry and fidelity to one’s vocation, I have always considered it as much more of a privilege than an obligation. I am grateful that the Church insists that we be given the opportunity to imitate Jesus by withdrawing periodically to a quiet spot to pray. That was part of the rhythm of Jesus’ life, and it has to be part of the bishop’s as well.
As a young priest, I would often make my annual retreat at the Jesuit Spirituality Center in Wernersville, Pennsylvania. While I always loved the chapel at Wernersville and the natural beauty of the setting, it was the center’s director, Jesuit Father George Aschenbrenner, who made the place sacred for me, helping me time and time again to recognize my annual retreat as the most important week of my year.
An inspiring man of prayer and a master of the Ignatian Exercises, Father Aschenbrenner had served as my spiritual director when I was a seminarian in Rome, preached memorably at my First Mass, and as a retreat master at Wernersville, he was often used by the Lord to remind me of the overwhelming abundance of God’s love in my life and ministry in a way that would sustain me for another year. When Father Aschenbrenner was called home to the Lord last month, I found myself particularly grateful for his priestly example for all that he had done to open my heart to the graces of an annual retreat.
The Directory for the Pastoral Ministry of Bishops notes that the bishop has to be committed to his own ongoing spiritual formation: “(t)his constant spiritual formation enables the Bishop to animate his pastoral activity with an authentic spirit of holiness, tirelessly promoting and sustaining the universal call to holiness.” The annual retreat is an important element of that ongoing formation as it provides the bishop an intensive opportunity to immerse himself in prayer.
The Directory reasons that the bishop has to be a man with a deep interior life, noting that it “is from prayer that a Bishop draws light, strength and comfort for his pastoral activity. For a Bishop, prayer is like the staff which supports him as he makes his pilgrimage through daily life.” While prayer has to be a daily reality in the life and ministry of a bishop, it shouldn’t be surprising that the bishop leans on the graces of the annual retreat throughout the year.
I particularly welcome this opportunity to bring to the Lord the needs of our Church and our world, praying as we approach the anniversary of Roe v. Wade for a strengthening of the culture of life. Not surprisingly, I am also praying earnestly for Bishop-elect Joseph Williams and the fruitfulness of his future ministry as he prepares for his ordination on Jan. 25. I am delighted that he has joined us for the retreat and hope that he will feel the support of his brother bishops at this time (even if we spend most of our retreat days in silence). Not surprisingly, I am also praying this year for our brothers and sisters who are being impacted by the pandemic, especially those with COVID-19 and their family members, and those over-taxed health care workers struggling to care for them. Our teachers and school administrators, who have done such a phenomenal job in educating our students at such a difficult time, are understandably in my prayers as well.
My heart at this year’s retreat is also filled with prayers of thanksgiving for the blessings that we are receiving from our Archdiocesan Synod process. The input from our Synod small group consultation has been amazing, and it has given me even greater reason for thanking the Lord for our Synod Executive Team, our Synod Prayer Team, and the leadership offered at the parish level by our pastors, parish ambassadors and facilitators. As you would expect, I’m also asking the Lord to bless our next steps as we prepare for the Synod Assembly this Pentecost. I’m hoping that my annual retreat will help me to discern what the Holy Spirit is saying to our local Church.
Given the importance of these days, I would be grateful if you would pray for me and the other bishops of our Metropolitan Province, as well as for our retreat director. Please know that I will be praying for you as well.
