Nourishing the Spirit

“Be diligent in serving the poor. Love the poor, honor them, my children, as you would honor Christ Himself.”

St. Louise de Marillac

By Katelyn Rieder, Communications intern

Taking time for spiritual self-reflection is integral not only to the lives of Sisters of Charity, but also to any individual looking to nourish their own spirituality. Providing time for spiritual growth through retreats, spiritual direction, or quiet reflection, to name a few, offers an individual the opportunity to pause from the busyness of life and assess what is most important; cultivate deeper relationships with oneself, others, and God; develop a stronger sense of purpose or life direction; or find healing and personal growth.

As director of the SC Spirituality Center for nearly 10 years, S. Marty Dermody dedicates her time to coordinating retreats and spiritual programs on the Mount St. Joseph campus. She possesses a wealth of knowledge, drawing on experiences professionally and personally.

S. Marty Dermody has been the director of the Spirituality Center for nearly ten years.

As director S. Marty oversees the entire office space, ensuring that rooms are available for one-on-one discussion and groups, and that the atmosphere is welcoming to all. She also seeks out other spiritual directors and program directors to come to campus and provide retreats, programs, and counseling as needed. By inviting directors from both inside and outside of the Community, S. Marty ensures that a diverse array of topics and needs are covered.

Midwest Retreat Centers – established to increase awareness and availability of retreats to all who seek God’s peace – has been a helpful resource to her. The full list of participating centers can be found on the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati website. These centers are spread across the Tristate area (Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky) and can act as a starting place for individuals new to retreating and deepening their spirituality. Directors from the Midwest Retreat Centers meet twice a year to discuss current and future programming, as well as connect and share the commonality of spiritual life with one another.

S. Marty will often invite other Sisters, priests, and laypeople to provide programming for the Spirituality Center. These programs can exist in many forms, but the most well-known is that of a retreat.

While retreats vary greatly, the simplest definition is any time away dedicated to mindfulness and spirituality. Some have also referred to their retreats as ‘a vacation with God.’ There are three main classifications of retreats: guided, directed, and individual.

During a guided retreat, participants will usually meet as a group with the retreat director. These meetings can be directed by a certain theme, idea, or medium. For example, engaging in creative activities like painting or poetry-writing individually, and then coming together as a group to share their work and the sentiments gained.

A directed retreat takes away the group aspect to involve just the participant and the spiritual director. Directed retreats typically begin and end in a group setting; however, the majority of the week is spent meeting daily with a director for one-on-one reflection and spiritual discernment followed by individual time on your own. Directed retreats can be beneficial to those discerning major life decisions or change, or those seeking God’s guidance.

Within the Spirituality Center, there are several rooms available for both individual and group prayer.

An individual or private retreat removes the directed aspect of the other two types. People going on individual retreats may consult a director before or after their trip, but typically not during. This type of retreat is usually silent and free from distractions, such as social media or television. This is the most ‘advanced’ type of retreat, as the retreatant has to do much of the inner, spiritual work on their own.

While the three classifications can help to categorize different retreat experiences, they are also not all-encompassing. Retreats can vary greatly based on a participant’s comfort level, interests, spirituality, etc. Some retreats (specifically guided) focus around some sort of activity. Popular ones may include art forms like painting, physical activities like hiking, or meditative exercises, such as journaling or yoga. This is one of the many advantages of retreats: there is something for everyone.

One of S. Marty’s favorite retreat locations is in Gloucester, Massachusetts, at the Eastern Point Retreat House. This retreat’s center proximity to the ocean and woods makes it a natural choice for her.

“[Retreats] offer me a time to just be quiet and put things in perspective,” said S. Marty. “For me, they provide an opportunity to stay connected to creation and nature, because that’s what draws me.” Specifically, seeing and photographing different birds in the area greatly nourishes her spirit and connection to Earth. “Not only is it a time to focus my relationship with God, but it provides me an opportunity to experience nature all around,” she adds.

There are opportunities for individuals to come to the Motherhouse for their retreats. Throughout the year, different retreat experiences or short programs will be made available not just to Sisters, but to the general public. For most programs, “anybody is welcome to come,” said S. Marty.

SoulCollage®<, a well-received program offered through the SC Spirituality Center, allows participants to quiet their thinking mind and get in touch with their own inner wisdom.

Much like how every person on Earth has a unique set of fingerprints, every person has their own unique experience and outlook on their spirituality. Through providing many different opportunities and spiritual directors, the SC Spirituality Center hopes to serve as many individuals as possible.

To learn more, visit the Spirituality Center page at https://www.srcharitycinti.org/ministries/scj-ministries/spirituality-center/, or scan the QR code.

The mission of the Spirituality Center is to provide opportunities for growth by:

Deepening faith life;

Strengthening efforts toward community building;Reaching out to the needs of the community;Heightening awareness of Gospel values in our global world.

Stemming from a belief that all of life is sacred, our purpose is to unite faith with life experience in a holistic approach.

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