After being suspended during COVID and then remaining dormant in the years since, retreat days are being brought back by the Diocese of Parramatta in 2025 to give people time to reflect on their relationship with God, the Church and their local parish community.
The impetus to reinstate retreat days came during the development of the Pastoral Plan, which followed on from the Diocesan Synod held Parramatta in 2023.
To coincide with celebrations for this year’s Jubilee of Hope, the three day-long retreats will each be held at official Jubilee pilgrimage sites within the Diocese:
- St Patrick’s Cathedral, at Parramatta, on 24 May;
- The Shrine of the Holy Innocents, at Kellyville, on 16 August;
- and, Mount Schoenstatt Shrine, at Mulgoa, on 15 November.
The themes of these retreats this year will reflect the focus of the wider Church – hope, pilgrimage and Jubilee, said Donnie Velasco, a facilitator with the Diocese’s Mission Enhancement Team (MET) that is organising and running these events.
People in the Blue Mountains gathered for a retreat day on Ecology and Spirituality in 2022. Three retreats are being organised by the Diocese’s Mission Enhancement Team in 2025. Image: Diocese of Parramatta
He said each day would follow a similar “prayerful format” where participants would begin by listening to speakers, then taking some time for reflection – which might be through music, art, quiet time, or journaling – and finally discussing with others what they had listened to earlier. This process would then be repeated several times throughout the day, before ending with a Mass.
“They’re an experience for parishioners of the Diocese to step out of their routine so that they can have some time to reflect on their relationship with God, their sense of self and also other people within the community,” Donnie said.
“And then within those three themes to really ponder what does it mean to be on a pilgrimage, to be a pilgrim people; what does it mean to have hope in your life, and what can that look like on a very practical level; and then in terms of the Jubilee, what does that look like for the time set aside to focus on how God can be with you as a God of mercy, a God of solidarity.”
The retreat days are open to all adults in the Diocese and are designed to be as accessible as possible, with no prior experience of attending retreats necessary, he said. At some of the events, there would also be the chance for participants to take part in sacraments such as Reconciliation.
Donnie urged all those keen to take part in one or more of the retreats to register their interest, for catering purposes on the day – morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea will be provided. He also encouraged those who wanted to write down their reflections to bring a pen and notepad.
Donnie said the impetus to reinstate retreat days in the Diocese had come during the development of the Diocesan Pastoral Plan – in particular, from the resolutions that called for the strengthening of adult faith formation (4A), and prioritising resources that support parishes and ministry groups in their work with families (1D).
“There was a Diocesan retreat that was held annually, then there was a vacuum. We’re now trying to double down on offering something that has been a desire of the people in the Diocese,” he said.
For those who are planning an overseas pilgrimage during this Jubilee year, the Diocese is also organising two pilgrimages: one for young adults in July and August, starting in Greece and following in the footsteps of Saint Paul, before continuing on to Rome; the other, a pilgrimage for those aged over 35, will be held in September, and starting in Greece, before travelling to Turkey and Rome.
