On September 16-21, 2019, the Provincial Custody of the Orient and the Holy Land carried out a spiritual retreat in Kobayat, Lebanon. The retreat center is located in the northern part of the country and is run by the Carmelites. The Carmelites opened their doors in a spirit of true fraternal hospitality.
The spiritual retreat was led by Friar Tomasz SZYMCZAK, the Secretary General of the Order. He provided five days of spiritual guidance, offering lectures on the theme of the evangelical counsels and the religious vow of obedience. His meditations were based on Holy Scripture, the Fathers of the Church, various documents of the Order and the Magisterium of the Church. Friar Tomasz aided his listeners in rediscovering the richness of obedience and in renewing their relationship with the Lord.
Among the retreat’s notable events was praying the Rosary at the nearby Maronite Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Andket. The Shrine is a place where one can observe the Catholic faith being witnessed in this Arab part of the world.
There were fourteen participants in the retreat, some from the Custody of the Orient and the Holy Land, some from Province of St. Joseph, Spouse of the B.V.M. in Romania and one Polish diocesan priest.
Friar Michał SABATURA
