An invitation to…

 Living Fullness of Life

SEMINARS

DIALOGUE & DISCERNMENT

Aims to develop skills and competencies in listening, dialoguing and discerning in order to create communities of good news. Part 1 consists of learning to listen to individuals and groups, facilitate communication through effective non-verbal responses and empathic listening. This includes the practice of assertion and handling of conflicts.

Part 2 includes understanding and experiencing the process of discernment offered by St. Ignatius of Loyola in his Spiritual Exercises through identifying the inner movements of the Spirit in consolation and desolation, leading one to make decisions in response to God’s invitation. This seminar will be conducted in an atmosphere of prayer, reflection, and bonding among the participants.

• 6 days
• for lay or religious
• limited to 30 participants

FACILITATING RETREATS & RECOLLECTIONS (RFS)

This is an intensive training program for those who are engaged in the formation of people through retreats and recollections.

The objectives of the workshop are for the participants to:

• articulate and affirm their desire to facilitate retreats and recollections;
• identify and explore the major components of a retreat or recollections module
• assess their giftedness and capacity for this ministry; and
• learn basic skills and methods for planning and facilitating retreats and recollections.

• 7 days
• 28 participants

THE CALL TO CONVERSION OF HEART

Using Enneagram for spiritual growth, this seminar offers the wisdom of reclaiming one’s original blessing of being made to the image and likeness of God towards conversion of the heart bringing new hope, vitality, and inner freedom. The process allows the participants to come in contact with their “God within:” through awareness, recognition, and acceptance of one’s personality type towards becoming the person God wants them to be. They will experience and celebrate the truth about themselves and come home to self and grow into God’s dream for them.

• 3 days
• maximum of 50 participants

RETREATS

INTIMACY WITH JESUS IN COMMUNITY

The grace of this retreat is growth in consciousness of one as Imago Dei, embracing one’s inner child and accepting oneself as a loved sinner. The retreatants are able to recognize, appreciate and celebrate the movement of the Spirit within them and in their community. Personal intimacy with Jesus leads to close bonding in community. This is a group retreat but individual direction will be provided.

• 6 or 8 days
• for communities of religious women

DISCERNMENT: CHOICES OF THE HEART

Retreatants experience prayer as a journey through the layers of their lived experiences into their depths, and allow themselves to be transformed by God there. The governing grace of this retreat is to find the will of God within their own hearts, a will that is directed to the well-being of individuals, communities, and all of creation. This retreat follows the weeks of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius and is conducted in silence, solitude, and contemplation.

• 8 days
• for laymen / women, religious or clergy
• limited to 24 participants

EXPERIENCING PRAYER AS INTEGRAL TO OUR WHOLE LIFE.

An experience of prayer as going into one’s depth by noticing the reality of God’s presence in their life and meeting God in an experience of true self made to God’s image and likeness. Discover God speaking in new ways. Grow in reverence of being loved by God.

• 2-3 days
• for professionals

COMING HOME TO ONESELF

 This retreat allows the retreatants to meet themselves, God, and others as they experience prayer understood as relationship with God and as they come home to themselves and reclaim their original blessing. The approach is semi-directed process with focused inputs and activities aimed at allowing God to come in a very personal and intimate manner.

• 2-3 days * for professional
• for professionals

A Gathering of WOMEN: RE -AWAKENING OF TRUE SELF

An experience of stepping out of women’s ordinary existence to listen and attune to their truest, most authentic self. This is a time to tend the hearth of their inner life, to feed their muses, to reclaim their dreams. This is about trusting what they experience as sacred.

• 2-3 days
• for women

GROWING TOGETHER IN LOVE

A time for couples to see and listen to each other away from the concerns of daily life in an atmosphere of love and trust. To experience being re-connected with their true center the God within, for a deeper and richer interaction with one another.

• 2-3 days * for couples

ENNEAGRAM AND RELATIONSHIP

The Enneagram is a great help in coming to know who we are and who God is. In seeing the patterned traits of our personality types we can shift from the narrow, defensive points of view acquired in childhood to a level of compassionate empathy. We can understand and love one another through understanding of our differences. When we are open to the mystery of others and ourselves we can deepen our relationship with God and with our marriage partner.

2-3 days * for couples

THE HEM OF HIS GARMENT

Setting oneself free from whatever debris single mothers carry in their hearts towards unleashing their spiritual energy and opening up to new life that grows within them.

Allowing the Spirit to set them free and make whole.

• 2-3 days
• for single mothers

FINDING YOUR HEART’S DESIRE IN THE “GOLDEN YEARS”

The focus of this retreat is to consider the realities and the full potential and wisdom of one’s golden years. This retreat aims to help seniors learn to know who they are and what rich rewarding days lie ahead. Aging is not a disease or handicap but only part of the human conditions which all of us share sooner or later.

• 2-3 days
• for senior citizens

FINDING GOD IN THE WORKPLACE

God is found in the range of experiences by the person at work, in the workgroup, and in the systems and structures of the work environment. The retreat will challenge them to see their work as ministry, not just a job to be done. It will be a deliberate effort to carry spirituality into the workforce that will affect the person’s relationships and integrity. The result will be a re-ordering of priorities and behaviors that will involve God in their working life.

• 2-3 days
• for employers and employees

JESUS, HEALER OF OUR INNER WORLD

This retreat is for those who experience brokenness and pain of any form. Their very wounds are their jewels. The experience of Jesus as Healer open the way to a graced journey of immense depth towards new hope and gladness thus building up community and places of love and bringing hope to our world.

• 2-3 days
• for any group

GROUP SPIRITUAL DIRECTION

Prayerful small- group sharing forms the heart of group spiritual direction. Join with others who seek a greater awareness of God in all of life. Participants will focus on discerning and articulating God’s presence in daily life. Directees must be willing to commit to some ongoing way of honoring their relationship with God, including reflection on life; to attend all meetings; and to participate in group process through prayerful listening and response to participants. They must also be willing to share their journeys with others.

• 3 to 4 hours
• for any group

FACILITATORS

SR. MA. EULALIA BANAWIS of the Religious of the Virgin Mary (RVM) is a Master in Theological Studies from Loyola School of Theology, Ateneo de Manila University. She had her training at the Institute of Spiritual Leadership in Chicago , Illinois and the Jesuit Center for Spirituality at Wernersville , Pennsylvania , USA . Her updating includes Institute in Spiritual Direction from a visiting spiritual director from Mercy Center , Madison , Connecticut , USA , Enneamotion, symbols and Images in New Zealand . She is certified for the Word Program and attended courses in Creation Spirituality. She has been conducting retreats and seminars and spiritual direction since 1987 to priests, religious, and lay people.

SR. MA. MARIFE BAUTISTA , RVM is a master in Guidance and Counseling from the University of San Carlos , Cebu City . She had her formal training for retreat and spiritual direction from the Center of Spirituality , Loyola House, Guelph , Ontario , Canada , and Spiritual Direction Institute at Mercy center, Madison , Connecticut , USA . She participated in related various seminars and workshops in USA among which are: Family of Origin, Progoff Intensive Journal Workshop, Approaches to the Interior, Leadership and Communication. Previous to her work in the retreat ministry, she facilitated homeroom sessions, seminars and recollections as guidance coordinator. She has been conducting retreats and spiritual direction since 1994 to various individuals and groups: lay, sisters, families, couples, priests, and seminarians.

SR. MA. CORAZON RICAFRENTE, RVM holds a Doctorate in Theology from Loyola School of Theology, Ateneo de Manila University. She was trained in retreat and spiritual direction at Jesuit Renewal Center , Milford , Ohio , USA . She attended various seminar-workshops in training centers in the USA : Retreat Director Workshop in the Ignatian Tradition, Institute in Spiritual Direction, Transference and Countertransference (Jung), Breathwork, Color and clay Theraphy, and Supervision Workshop for Spiritual Directors. In the Philippines , she participated in an Internship in Spiritual Direction and a seminar in Contemplative Spirituality based on the Enneagram. She has been a member of Retraet Directors International and the International Thomas Merton Society. She has been conducting retreats to individuals and groups since 1990.

Sr. Ma. Eulalia G. Banawis, RVM

• Betania Retreat House, Lahug, Nivel Hills, Cebu City  / Tel # (032) 2310731

Sr. Ma. Marife A. Bautista, RVM

• Betania Retreat House, Malasag, Cagayan de Oro City  / CP # (0918) 9191845

Sr. Ma. Corazon M. Ricafrente, RVM

• Betania Retreat House, 214 N. Domingo, Quezon City / Tel # (02) 7251744; (02) 7214910