After a
year and half of hosting other retreats we decided, rather abruptly, to have
our
own pilgrimage.
Last week,
just before Labor Day weekend, I was coming back from the barns and talking to
God about what his plans were for this facility. I wondered if there would be
some sort of community here or rural mission house, would the barns ever
be full of animals to feed the poor or the garden produce enough to send to
more food shelves and would we have daily Mass in the Chapel.
When I came
inside I mentioned these thoughts to my wife and she said, “We should go to the
Madonna House in Combermere Ontario someday.” The Madonna House is where the
priest, Father Von Faur (who constructed and dreamed up the Mary Theotokos
Retreat Center) spent some time as an associate priest and the place greatly influenced him. There was a short silence as we looked at each other...and before I knew
it, we were packing.
First we had to make sure the tent would even stand!
After scraping change together, some
packing and phone calls we had a house sitter, animal feeders and a campsight
somewhere near Combermere to sleep in, if we got there. So once the kids got
home from school, we told them the plan, went to bed and got up early to begin
our 371 mile drive to Ontario!
The drive
was as all long drives are with kids, but we were blessed by the having
virtually no traffic the entire way. We arrived late, set up the tent and went
to bed, the next morning we went to the Madonna House.
The Madonna House
Apostolate was founded by Catherine and Eddie Doherty.
In their
own words;
“It is a family of Christian lay men, women, and priests, striving
to incarnate the teachings of Jesus Christ by forming a community of love. We
are a “Public Association of the Christian Faithful” within the Roman
Catholic Church,
under the bishop of the Diocese of
Pembroke. Staff
members of Madonna House come from all walks of life, from various countries
and cultures, and have a wide variety of personalities and talents. They have
in common a desire to serve God in a very humble way of life, as summarized in
our Little Mandate. Our spirit is that of a family —
modeled on the holy family of Nazareth, which was a community of perfect
charity and love. Founded in 1947 by Catherine Doherty and her husband, Eddie Doherty,
today the community has more than 200 lay men, women, and priests, dedicated to
loving and serving Christ through promises of poverty, chastity, and obedience. (And, in addition to our staff
priests, there are more than 125associate priests, bishops and permanent deacons who
strive to live the spirit of Madonna House in their home dioceses or wherever
they are serving.)” Much more can be read about Catherine Doherty and the
Madonna house at their website: http://www.madonnahouse.org/about/index.html
As we
walked around the grounds we were stunned by the similarities of our retreat
center and the construction elements of the Madonna House. We could certainly
feel a link between the two places and understand how much the Madonna House
had inspired Father Von Faur. Within a very little time we met several members
of the community who were very interested in our tale of renovating the Mary
Theotokos Retreat Center in Newark VT., as well as anything we could tell them
about Father Von Faur.
Our hosts
were more than generous with their time and unlike us, who babbled about all we
had experienced and gone through since moving into the retreat center, they listened and presented an amazing air of calm and peace. This gentle way was
found readily amongst all Madonna House members whether young adults or the elderly, all busy at work.
Before long we began to see the similarities between our retreat center and the
Madonna House were not only in the architecture and wooded landscape, but there
was a spiritual similarity as well.
Our main guide Beverly took us on a whirlwind tour and history lesson. We started
at the above sight by the main house, at the orchard that Catherine and Eddie
Doherty planted in 1947 on their arrival at the Combermere sight.
They
had planned to retire here after many exhausting years working to feed and help
the poor of New York City, but God had another plan for them.
Behind the
main house one can see the serene beauty of the area.
It is easy
to see how the style of quiet Russian tradition of
“Poustinia” would be easy to accomplish
here.
Aside from
the gift shop, and farm buildings and other self sustaining mission structures
there were many little cabins which were the roots of this
Apostolate community.
Not too far
away was a summer camp area called The Cana Colony where families could come
and have a faith filled week long retreat during the summer months, here too
were comfy cozy cabins and a church as well as an overall sense of peace.
As our tour
headed off through the woods for the main chapel we passed many different shrines
along the way, as well as places of work that sustain the community and aid the poor of the area.
After a
short walk through the woods past other cabins we came to the chapel.
In many
ways it reminded us of our own chapel at Mary Theotokos, we paused for reflection a prayer and a family snapshot!
But
the real high point, or I should say, the real inspirational point of the tour was about
to happen as Beverly lead us to a small bridge that took us onto a tiny island
where we were to visit Catherine
Doherty’s cabin, where she spent most of her days
as well as many of her
last days.
Here is the
view of the outside of this soon to be Saint’s little cabin.
It is hard
to describe the feeling upon entering it. But it was
a strong spiritual sense that overwhelmed us as we look around at Catherine
Doherty’s bed, little kitchen, corner shrine, photos, and desk.
As we got
ready to leave the cabin I was struck by the way the sun was cutting through the
afternoon clouds. It was almost blinding at the angle I was standing at, so
much so I had to squint as I was walking out. It’s glare was almost obliterating
the small sign above Catherine’s desk. As I shielded my eyes and crept closer to the desk, this small sign was easy to read.
It sort of
became a theme for this totally unplanned, unprepared trip.
As we
walked around the little island a bit more we visited another shrine as well as
the Stations of the Cross walk.
After our
tour we were invited to lunch before we had to set off on our return trip.
We ate with
the community in the dining hall.
Then it was
time to go home. Another 9 hour drive,..with no traffic,..on Labor day
weekend? Now that IS a miracle.
Once home
we collapsed and thought about unpacking the car.
But our
minds hummed with ideas for our center. A little gift shop perhaps? A Stations
of the Cross walk certainly. We also realized that whatever God’s plan was for
our center, what ever inspiration we
were to gather from our trip would be explained to us,…
with
God’s plan, in God's time.
Here is hoping
you take time for your own pilgrimage.
"expect a miracle"
"expect a miracle"
Deus Tecum
From The
Mary Theotokos Center in VT.
