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What is a priest! A man who holds the place of God -- a
man who is invested with all the powers of God. "Go, " said
Our Lord to the priest; "as My Father sent Me, I send you.
All power has been given Me in Heaven and on earth. Go then,
teach all nations. . . . He who listens to you, listens to
Me; he who despises you despises Me. " When the priest
remits sins, he does not say, "God pardons you"; he says, "I
absolve you. " At the Consecration, he does not say, "This
is the Body of Our Lord;" he says, "This is My Body. "
-St. John Marie Vianney, Franciscan 3rd Order Member |
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It is the special
charism of our Foundress, Mother Marie St. Clare, to have a
particular love and respect for the holy priesthood.
As her daughters, we carry on her love through our prayers
and sacrifices for priests. And now, to further this,
we are offering a place of silent retreat for Priests at Our
Lady of Solitude.
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Open to priests in good standing with
their diocese/religious community
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Accommodations provided (in one room
hermitages located on site)
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Donations are appreciated
Each
hermitage is supplied with a bed, linens, couch, writing
desk, bathroom/shower, microwave, and small refrigerator.
Priest retreatants are responsible for providing their own
meals. |
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* Please note, these
retreats are intended for Clergy only and are not
currently available for the laity. However, in the
future (after the new Monastery is built), we hope to
have a place available for the laity to come for
day retreats. We ask that
you keep this intention (for the 'speedy' fundraising
and eventual building of the Monastery) in your prayers.
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Priest Testimonials |
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spending some quiet days in a hermitage on the
mesa of Our Lady of Solitude. It is,
indeed, a beautiful part of God's creation.
Just as Our Lord went to the desert to pray, so
I find this quiet spot in the mountains a very
fruitful place for prayer too. In addition
to that, I always enjoy hiking the many scenic
places nearby."
- Fr.
Joseph Mary Wolfe, MFVA, Chaplain for the Poor
Clares of Perpetual Adoration, Hanceville,
AL |
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"A
retreat at Our Lady of Solitude Monastery, even for just
part of a day, is always a time of spiritual
refreshment. The remote location combined with the
prayerful, joyful witness of the nuns provides an often
overwhelmed parish priest with a rare opportunity for
truly quiet, prayerful communion with
our Lord, especially in Adoration of the Blessed
Sacrament. Time with the sisters is an inspiration--in
the literal sense of the term--a breath of the Holy
Spirit."
- Fr.
John Lankeit, Associate Pastor of St. Anne's Parish,
Gilbert Arizona |
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"Being at Our Lady of
Solitude reminded me often of all that Jesus
experienced in the desert. With Him Who
conquered all temptation, we priests of Jesus
Christ, despite our weaknesses, have the
assurance of conquering as well as long as we
are one with Him."
-Fr. Miguel Marie, MFVA,
Irondale Alabama |
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"As
a newly ordained Priest I traveled to Our
Lady of Solitude not knowing what to
expect. Once I had arrived and settled in my
personal hermitage, I found Our Lady of
Solitude to be a place naturally conducive
to prayer and reflection. In fact, during all
three of my stays I often thought of the Desert
Monks of the early Church and how they traveled
out of the city into the desert to focus
completely on their relationship with God.
Another great aspect of Our Lady of Solitude is
that one senses a certain supernatural peace -
kind of like God has placed His hand on this
place in a special way. The beautifully
decorated Chapel, located near the hermitages,
allows the Priest to pray before our Lord in the
Blessed Sacrament in silence - day or night.
With no one around but our Lord reserved in the
Tabernacle and the desert "critters", one can
truly get spiritually recharged." - Fr. Dominic
Mary, MFVA, Irondale Alabama |
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"...in the
desert, in a fantastically beautiful spot, on a
summit overlooking a chaos of mountains, at the foot
of the Blessed Eucharist, could do you nothing but
good."
- Bl. Charles de
Foucauld |
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If you are interested in learning
more about making a retreat, please contact us at:
desertnuns@msn.com
To pray for holy
Priests and for more Priests, Mother Marie St. Clare said:
“This is essentially a
Franciscan mission.” |
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