Mid-year Retreat Recap

Ministry Candidates and Faculty at Pilgrim went on our mid-year retreat recently to Kalorama, in the glorious (if chilly!) Dandenong Ranges. It was an opportunity to step away from the day-to-day responsibilities of family, study, and work to make space for the still, small voice of God and for connection as a community.

The focus of the retreat was Discerning Decisions and was led by two representatives from Jesuit and Ignatian Spirituality Australia, Anne and Dean. They guided us through Ignatian practices for both individual and communal discernment. We explored the life and ministry of Ignatius of Loyola, tracing its highs and lows to discover patterns of call and response in our own journeys.

Candidates were also invited to engage with prayer practices they had encountered in their Semester 1 unit, Spiritual Formation in the Christian Tradition. The retreat concluded with a reflection on the church’s gifts of communal discernment found in the UCA Standards for Ministry. Each candidate wrote a letter to their future self—intended to be opened at the end of their first year in ministry—as a gentle reminder to reflect: How am I maintaining my prayer life amid the demands of ministry?

Alongside worship, prayer and journaling we enjoyed the beautiful surroundings of Kalorama, savoured delicious meals, engaged in stimulating conversations, and shared much laughter over card games by the fire.