Catholic Single Women's Retreat

I'm going to vanish from the blogosphere these next few days as I'm running off to the annual Catholic Single Women's Retreat put on by the Vocations Office for the Archdiocese.

It's an awesome retreat! I went for the first time last year and I was very impressed. The retreat is open to all single Catholic women between the ages of 17 and 35 in the Archdiocese (they have a similar retreat for the men earlier on in the spring). Single is very loosly defined, as in, if you haven't taken vows you're single. If you fit into that category and are thinking to yourself "hmmm, maybe I'd like to go" well. . . I'm sorry but it's full. The retreat has had a waiting list for several weeks already! That's how popular it is!

The retreat is held at a local Catholic retreat centre. There's daily Mass, Liturgy of the Hours, Eucharistic Adoration, the opportunity to go to confession, talks, discussions and plenty of time for personal prayer as well.

When I first signed up for the retreat last year I was thinking to myself "Oh boy, what am I getting myself in to?" Anything with the word "vocations" on it can be somewhat intimidating when you don't know what you're doing with the rest of your life. For some reason, since the retreat is run by the "Vocations Office" I was afraid that before the weekend was over we'd all be signed up for convents. Ok, well, I wasn't quite that naïve, but close!

Anyways, it wasn't like that at all! The retreat explores all vocations. There are testimonies given by consecrated religious, married, and single women. I remember one talk last year in particular that explored how poverty, chastity, and obedience are lived out in the various vocations. It was really interesting. If nothing else, the retreat helped me to better understand the beauty of each vocation. Throughout the retreat we were often reminded that every vocation is a call to holiness.

On that note, I will be signing off for the next few days as I'm going to be on retreat and certainly won't be using the internet while I'm gone. Please keep me and the other young ladies on the retreat in your prayers.