Virtual Retreats Offer Spiritual Preparation for Holy Week
During the coronavirus lockdown, many dioceses and religious communities are offering virtual retreats on the internet.
I recently did an internet search for “Holy Week retreats” and got listings for retreats offered in previous years.
Descriptions of conferences, liturgies and accommodations in restful natural settings made me a little wistful at a time when such “real” retreats have been canceled because of social distancing restrictions.
By inserting the word “virtual” into my search I found quite a few retreat options for those of us living under stay-at-home orders who still long to step away and prepare spiritually for Holy Week and the Easter Triduum.
Many of the retreats I found are available at no charge or for an optional donation through dioceses and religious communities. They include livestreamed video conferences and liturgies, audio conferences and other materials for reflection.
Several of the retreats will be livestreamed before or during Holy Week with the option to view them later. A number of others have been offered for the Lenten season, but Catholics can view, listen to or read them at any point.
Virtual retreats can help us find real peace and spiritual renewal during a difficult time.
RETREATS ON OR BEFORE HOLY WEEK 2020
March 30-April 4: Archdiocese of Philadelphia: “The Power of Faith and Hope in a Time of Uncertainty: A Virtual Lenten Retreat”
- No charge
- Videos presented at 7 p.m. EDT each night and posted to Archbishop Nelson Perez’s Facebook and Instagram pages, the archdiocesan Vimeo channel, archdiocesan website and CatholicPhilly.com.
April 3-5: Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles, “Peace in the Home”
- See website for conference times
- Donations welcome
- https://sacredheartretreathouse.com/virtual-retreat/040320-0/
April 3-5: “A Lenten Retreat with Father Mike Schmitz”
- Webinar conferences 8 p.m. EDT
- No charge, space is limited
- https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_UxEYKAJXRRmkcWMp4oYTHA
April 5-11: Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis: “Virtual Holy Week Retreat”
- Each day Mass 9 a.m. CDT followed by directed Lectio Divina; and 7 p.m. conferences all live-streamed or recorded.
- No charge
- https://www.archspm.org/holyweek
April 7-9: Schoenstatt Movement of Wisconsin and Illinois: “2020 Online Holy Week Retreat”
- Donation optional
- https://schoenstattwisconsin.org/online-holy-week-retreat-details/
LENTEN RETREATS
Archdiocese of Boston: “A Virtual Retreat with Cardinal Seán: Christ, Our Light in the Darkness”
- Video conferences given March 23-28.
- No charge
- https://www.bostoncatholic.org/virtualretreat
Creighton University: Ignatian Retreat
- Audio conferences.
- No charge
- https://dspace2.creighton.edu/xmlui/handle/10504/92581
Loyola Press: “An Ignatian Prayer Adventure”
- No charge for retreat. Book $10 plus shipping
- http://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-spiritual-exercises/an-ignatian-prayer-adventure/
Loyola Press: “The Ignatian Workout for Lent: An Online Retreat”
- Audio conferences. No charge. Book $5.95
- https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/lent/the-ignatian-workout-for-lent-an-online-retreat/
Magis Women: “Lent at Home 2020”
Pray as You Go: “Journeying with Jesus: A Gospel Lenten Pilgrimage”
- Audio conferences
- No charge
- https://pray-as-you-go.org/article/journeying-with-jesus-a-gospel-lenten-pilgrimage
- Keywords:
- coronavirus
- holy week
- lent
- retreats
