Pathways to Pentecost - A Retreat in Daily Life

Explore the profound presence of God in every aspect of your life.

From the bustling city streets in the quiet moments of solitude.

Through prayer, meditation and reflection, uncover the sacredness within the ordinary and deepen your connection to the Divine.

Pray daily, meet weekly. Register here. To find out more please email Fr David Stewart SJ at ejcretreats@jesuit.org.uk

Opening Session
Sunday 4 May, 5.15pm at Edinburgh Jesuit Church, Lauriston Street, Edinburgh.

Closing Session
Sunday 1 June, 5.15pm, Edinburgh Jesuit Church, Lauriston Street, Edinburgh.

Hosted by the Edinburgh Jesuit Centre. FAQs below.

What is a retreat in daily life?
A retreat in daily life is time set aside over a number of weeks for prayer and reflection which is designed to fit alongside you usual work and home routine.

Who is a retreat for?
A retreat is for any Christian who wishes to deepen their prayer and know better Jesus Christ and the action of God in their lives. All you need is an openness to the experience and method of the retreat and generosity in setting aside the time needed each day for prayer for the duration of the retreat.

How long does the retreat last?
We offer retreats in daily life of different lengths - from three weeks to six weeks or more.

What do I have to do?
The commitment for the retreat in daily life is . . .

Prayer
You do not have to be an expert in prayer, or very confident about prayer, or already know how to meditate to do a retreat. Your prayer guide will help you understand how to pray better and will suggest material to pray with. What they suggest will be tailored to you, your own experience and circumstances.

Prayer Guides
It is important to have someone who is trained and experienced accompany you through your retreat. Your prayer guide will provide material for your prayer and meditation. What you discuss with them remains confidential.

Workshops
We offer workshops alongside the retreat. These focus on different methods of prayer and may be especially helpful if you are not particularly sure about how to pray or meditate in the Christian tradition or want to try new ways of praying. The workshops are optional and not necessary to do the retreat in daily life well.

How much does it cost?
We do not charge for the retreat in daily life. However, we do incur costs and so welcome a donation if you are able to make one.

SATURDAY: Valentine's retreat for married couples

The Archdiocese invites married couples (and those preparing for marriage) to a free Valentine's retreat this Saturday (10 February).

The free event takes place at St Kentigern's Church, Parkgrove Avenue, Barnton, Edinburgh, EH4 7QR from 2pm to 5pm.

It is hosted by Stephen and Martha Milne, who have long experience in running retreats, catechesis and marriage/family events.

There will be a crèche available for children of primary school age and older. Registration closes Thursday 8 Feb at 2pm.

The event is hosted by Stephen and Martha Milne who live in Dalmally, and are part of the Craig Lodge Family House of Prayer Community. 

Stephen said, "The Valentine's Retreat is an ideal way for couples to spend time together in quiet reflection and prayer, in thanksgiving to God for each other and all the positive things that spring from your relationship.

"We’ll provide some inspiring stories and practical advice from our own background and what we’ve learned over the years through delivering catechesis about and for the family and from working with families.

"We hope it will help you look afresh in appreciation of each other ahead of Valentine’s Day in the relaxed and friendly environment of St Kentigern’s Parish in Edinburgh. We look forward to welcoming you."

Register for this free event here.

About Stephen and Martha Milne

Stephen and Martha were married in 1989 in Baltimore, USA.

They have six grown up children, four grandchildren and another on the way.

They currently reside in Dalmally, Argyll and Bute, recently joining the Craig Lodge Family House of Prayer Community.

Stephen is a retired English teacher and taught in schools in Kent, London and Lincolnshire.

He taught at the Maryvale Institute in Birmingham for several years as an Associate Lecturer on the MA for Catholic Pastoral Studies programme, running a course on Marriage and Family in the teaching of the Church.

He has a BA (Hons) in Developmental Psychology University of Sussex, an MA in English Literature and Language from King’s College London, and a PhD from the University of Nottingham.

Martha spent nine years as a primary school teacher at The Lamb of God Community School in Baltimore, Maryland.

She is the Director of the Machine Quilter Company Ltd and currently runs social media for the Juki Sewing Machine Corporation Europe.

The couple have been involved in helping organise and run family retreats at Craig Lodge Family House of Prayer Community in the last year.

She has a B.S. in Speech and Language Pathology M.Ed Literacy (Dyslexia), Catechesis Certificate from Maryvale Institute

The Valentine's Retreat is a free event organised by the Marriage & Families Commission of the Archdiocese of St Andrews & Edinburgh. The registration address is bit.ly/valretreat. The event includes talks, time for coples to talk, Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Guided prayer with readings and prayers relevant to the vocation of marriage. There will be a crèche available for children of primary school age and older. Doors open from 1:30pm. Questions? Contact matthew.meade@staned.org.uk

Lent retreat with Fr Parys

A mini-Lent retreat entitled Encountering Jesus begins on Friday at St Kentigern’s Church, Barnton, Edinburgh.

It is led by Fr Bart Parys, a Divine Word Missionary based in Ireland and it will help you draw closer to Jesus in Lent.

He said: "This weekend retreat will help you enter into - or renew - a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and experience the love of God the Father.

"We will explore inspirational Gospel stories about people encountering Christ.

"There will be space for for private prayer in silence, time for fellowship and an opportunity to listen to testimonies and participate in the Eucharist. I look forward to welcoming you."

Encountering Jesus begins on Friday 24 March 7:30pm - 8:30pm. It continues on Sat 25 Mar from 10:00am to 3:00pm before concluding on Sunday 26 Mar 9:30am - 11:00am. All dates at St Kentigern's Church in Parkgrove Avenue, Barnton, Edinburgh. No registration required, simply turn up to any or all of the dates.

EVENT: Couples invited to pray and reflect at online retreat

We're inviting married and engaged couples for a time of prayer and reflection at a special St Valentine's Day mini-retreat.

There will be two excellent short talks specially prepared by Canon John Udris, spiritual director at St Mary's College, Oscott (seminary for the Archdiocese of Birmingham).

The event is organised by the Archdiocesan Commission for Marriage and Family Life, led by Fr Jeremy Milne. He said: "In these times of lockdown stress we are offering couples an opportunity at Valentine's to come together before the Lord to reflect on and, hopefully, appreciate anew the gift and blessing of marriage and the strength that it brings.

"We also want to encourage couples to see their marriage as a call from God to shine his light and share his love in the world, so much needed at this time in history."

Couples' Retreat, Sat 13 Feb, 3:00pm to 4:30pm (Zoom). Register at bit.ly/CouplesRetreat2021 (free event).