It was a gorgeous day to make our way from Cheyenne, Wyoming to Virginia Dale, Colorado for the women’s retreat at the Abbey of St. Walburga. I have been to the Abbey each year as a retreat participant, but this was my first time to be the retreat leader. It was a privilege to gather with women from all three of the parishes in Cheyenne. We also had a participant from Holy Family Parish located on the F.E. Warren Air Force Base as well as one participant from Colorado.My day begun at 4:30 A.M. as I made final preparations for the retreat. Predominantly, that consisted of praying and seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit for a fruitful day. I believe those prayers were answered very profoundly. I was in the chancery office by 7:00 A.M. gathering up the necessities for the retreat. By 8:15 A.M. we were on our way across the border. We enjoyed the hospitality of the Benedictine Sisters, learned a little of their history, and had the opportunity to join them for mid-day prayer.We returned to Cheyenne just after 5:00 P.M. which gave me the opportunity to make it to the state capitol by 6:00 P.M. to join Bishop Etienne for an ecumenical prayer service with the Greek Orthodox Community. We prayed for the well-being of Christians in the Middle East and implored God for peace in our world. My day finally concluded at 8:30 P.M. before I sat down at my computer to put a few thoughts here. Thus, I will not give a lot of details about the retreat, but I will let the pictures give you a glimpse of the beauty we enjoyed. We not only saw the handiwork of the Creator in our surroundings, but we encountered the glory of God in our midst. It was a “WOW” experience.I offer my sincere gratitude to all of the ladies who attended the retreat. Your kindness and deep spirituality touched me. Thank you for your faithful witness to Jesus Christ.
