Veterans' retreat to be held beside waters of San Alfonso
July 29, 2019 at 12:37 p.m.
A restorative weekend retreat for combat veterans and active duty military personnel will usher in the first weekend of the New Year in San Alfonso Retreat Center, Long Branch.
Entitled “Hope and Healing,” the weekend will be held Jan. 2 – 4 at San Alfonso located at 755 Ocean Avenue. The retreat has been created to encourage the men and women attending to begin 2015 in a peaceful, nourishing place, said Redemptorist Father James A. Wallace.
Father Wallace, director of San Alfonso, helped organize the retreat. He said he’s looking forward to the weekend where presenters will include Catholic military chaplains and combat veterans as well as clergy and religious. Father Wallace will be among the presenters as will Redemptorist Fathers John McGowan and Kevin O’Neil and Sister of St. Joseph JoAnne Jones.
In a brief interview, Father Wallace said since first arriving in San Alfonso two years ago, he had been hoping the Redemptorist retreat center would host such an event. “Even before I came here, I had been reading about the effects of (the wars) in Afghanistan and Iraq and the difficulty many veterans had in adjusting not just psychologically and physically, but spiritually, upon returning home,” he said.
Taking inspiration from Redemptorist founder St. Alphonsus Liguori, Father Wallace said that the organizers focused on the saint’s emphasis on reaching out to those most in need of spiritual assistance. While the retreat is open to anyone who would like to come, Father Wallace described it as “very much a Catholic weekend” that will include Scripture, prayer services, time to share and private time as well.
There will be an emphasis on Jesus as healer, with an emphasis on healing the spiritual, psychological and physical wounds of war, Father Wallace said. Counselors will be on hand to share their insights with the veterans.
The cost of the weekend is $200 including all meals, activities and accommodations.
For more information, email [email protected] or call 732-222-2731. Find San Alfonso on the Internet at www.sanalfonsoretreats.org
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A restorative weekend retreat for combat veterans and active duty military personnel will usher in the first weekend of the New Year in San Alfonso Retreat Center, Long Branch.
Entitled “Hope and Healing,” the weekend will be held Jan. 2 – 4 at San Alfonso located at 755 Ocean Avenue. The retreat has been created to encourage the men and women attending to begin 2015 in a peaceful, nourishing place, said Redemptorist Father James A. Wallace.
Father Wallace, director of San Alfonso, helped organize the retreat. He said he’s looking forward to the weekend where presenters will include Catholic military chaplains and combat veterans as well as clergy and religious. Father Wallace will be among the presenters as will Redemptorist Fathers John McGowan and Kevin O’Neil and Sister of St. Joseph JoAnne Jones.
In a brief interview, Father Wallace said since first arriving in San Alfonso two years ago, he had been hoping the Redemptorist retreat center would host such an event. “Even before I came here, I had been reading about the effects of (the wars) in Afghanistan and Iraq and the difficulty many veterans had in adjusting not just psychologically and physically, but spiritually, upon returning home,” he said.
Taking inspiration from Redemptorist founder St. Alphonsus Liguori, Father Wallace said that the organizers focused on the saint’s emphasis on reaching out to those most in need of spiritual assistance. While the retreat is open to anyone who would like to come, Father Wallace described it as “very much a Catholic weekend” that will include Scripture, prayer services, time to share and private time as well.
There will be an emphasis on Jesus as healer, with an emphasis on healing the spiritual, psychological and physical wounds of war, Father Wallace said. Counselors will be on hand to share their insights with the veterans.
The cost of the weekend is $200 including all meals, activities and accommodations.
For more information, email [email protected] or call 732-222-2731. Find San Alfonso on the Internet at www.sanalfonsoretreats.org
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