Supporting Priests’ Community Life
The mission of the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe includes fostering both spiritual growth and community life. The two support each other and are often combined. Accordingly, the Shrine is honored and thankful to take part in the La Crosse Diocese’s program of priests’ days of recollection.
Retreats at the Shrine
The diocese of La Crosse offers several mini-retreat days for priests each month from September to May. Those at the Shrine are held on the first Thursday of the month, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. The schedule for each event includes a holy hour of Eucharistic adoration, a reflection given by a speaker, a period of silence in which the Norbertine Fathers are available for confession, and finally Vespers and Benediction. The time of prayer is followed by socializing and dinner in the Culina Mariana Café.
For Our Priests
These evenings provide attending priests with something crucial: an opportunity, amid their lives of service, to devote some time to contemplative prayer. “It is important for priests to be intentional with their spiritual growth,” states Fr. Kyle Laylan, who attended the latest day of recollection. “Life is busy, and we so easily get caught up in the business, and fail to prioritize what is most important: remaining connected to the Lord. The time in Adoration and the opportunity to go to Confession is a great way to re-center on Christ.”
Fraternity within Priesthood
Fr. Zachary Edgar, the Shrine’s own Director of Sacred Liturgy, agrees and expands on this line of thought. “We’re all as busy as we want to be or even busier … and to actually stop, especially for those who don’t live in community, who live at their parishes on their own, it’s so important to come together, pray together, have fraternity time together.” As Fr. Edgar observes, these retreats address the twin needs for time with Our Lord and bonding with fellow priests. Fr. Laylan also highlights the importance of this social aspect: “I also find the time of fraternity with brother priests valuable. I do not see many of the priests often, so I appreciate the opportunity to come together. It should also be stated that the food is great.”
Bishop Battersby’s Visit
On the most recent of these days, September 5, the Shrine welcomed about twenty attendees and, as the speaker, Bishop Battersby of La Crosse. Bishop Battersby spoke on Our Lady as a perfect model of the spiritual life, in its twofold aspects, always hand in hand, of love for God and love for neighbor.
“Well worth the time”
Knowing the effort that taking time out of life’s regular schedules can cost, Fr. Laylan encourages his fellow priests to make that effort for these retreats: “My advice to fellow priests is that they should schedule the Recollection Evenings into their calendars. Make it a priority. In my estimation it is well worth the time.”
St. Thérèse of Lisieux wrote joyfully of her calling to pray for priests, “How beautiful is the vocation … which has as its aim the preservation of the salt destined for souls!” (cf. Mt 6:13) The La Crosse Diocese, too, strives to help its priests to be, in a particular way, the “salt of the earth”; and Our Lady’s Shrine is truly blessed to participate in this work.
