Parish Retreat 2024!

St. Mark’s and Holy Comforter Episcopal Churches held a joint Parish Retreat at Shrine Mont last weekend.  The weather was beautiful, the workshops well done and the fellowship marvelous

The theme of the retreat was “Prayer”.  It started Friday night with a “meet and greet” at Portlock Cottage, which served as one of our workshop spaces as well as a hospitality house and “home” to 6 attendees.  Saturday’s workshop choices included How to Pray the Daily Office; Read, Pray and Share books on prayer; Art and Prayer; Faces of Prayer; making and praying with prayer beads; and a hike to the cross on North Mountain.  Saturday night we made s’mores over a roaring bonfire under a nearly full moon!   Free time was built into the schedule, and participants took advantage of the trip to includes visits to breweries, wineries, orchards and the small towns that dot the Shenandoah Valley.  We concluded the Retreat by celebrating Eucharist at the Shrine. 

It was a weekend of making new friends and celebrating the old!  We have requested space to have another next year, October 17^th – 19^th, so mark your calendars.  If you would like to assist in retreat planning please contact Mickie Jones at mpj4120@verizon.net or let Malinda know.