Barmouth 6 Day Individually Guided Retreat

Barmouth Retreat for young adults – July 2011
Travelling to Barmouth by train does feel like entering a different country, as the dense towns and rolling fields of the English countryside give way to the narrow path between sea and crags that winds its way along the Welsh coastline. The Jesuit retreat house itself, with the Irish Sea stretching out below every window and rocky footpaths above, has the best of both worlds: dizzying views and damp, sandy feet – both ideal ways into a sense of wonder, of peace and of stillness that make most time passed there, however it is spent, feel like a prayer. The retreat concept here is a mixture of worlds too – part prayer, part holiday, part community experience and part social; it combines the quietness set aside for prayerful reflection with the exuberant laughter of a group of young adults gradually deepening and opening in friendship. So it is that the short day of silence here could feel so surprisingly companionable, while a theme or thought developing in it can somehow continue in a shared reflection or casual conversation to follow. There was a lot of laughter over these few days, but also a real willingness to talk over subjects that mattered deeply, often provoked by the challenge of engaging the imagination in different kinds of prayer – with images, or drama, or labyrinths in the sand, as well as the daily rhythm of Mass, daily prayer and Ignatian spirituality. Arriving there, still a little stunned, after my final exams at university, it felt not only like a time away, but a new consciousness of the presence of God in joy and simplicity that hasn’t faded since. Thanks go to Karen, Fr Matthew SJ, Fr Simon SJ and the whole group for all they did to make this such a fulfilling experience – I hope it’s one that many others will be able to share in the future.
For information about future retreats at the Jesuit house in Barmouth, please contact Matthew Power SJ at matthew.power@jesuits.net.