Page 71 - The Gonzaga Record 1985
P. 71
Reviews
SIXTH YEAR RETREAT £1 7, even on the purely material plane, it
was great value for the money!
On the 11 and 12 October 1984 half the Those who took part in the Retreat were:
sixth year went on Retreat in Tabor House, Mark Appleby; Niall Bresli n; Stephen
Milltown Park. The exercises of the Retreat Brien; Michael Conlon; David Costello;
lasted each day from 9.30 am to 6.0. pm. Morgan Curran; Michael Deeny; Colin
At the beginning of the retreat we were Doherty; William Dundon; Peter F. Fahy;
exhorted to give ourselves wholly to the John Gibney; Cormac Larkin; Malachy
different exercises, and I think it can be said McAllister; Kevin McDermott; Philip
that we did so. To my personal joy the Marmion; David Nolan; David
exercises were not of the 'charismatic hold- O'Callaghan; David O'Donoghue; Brian
bandies' type. They were simple but O'Donnell; Michael O'Donnell; Eoin
extremely useful lessons in trust of each O'Mahony; Gavin O'Sulli van; Keith Start;
other, and communication, and also dealt David Toner; Brian Walsh.
with the difficult themes of how we felt
when we couldn't converse with others, or Niall Breslin.
on the other hand when our confidences
were broken. THE SOCIETY OF ST
One of the lessons in communication VINCENT DE PAUL
involved standing up and introducing
yourself as the person sitting next to you, The main work of the Conference of St
and giving a brief resume of his family and Aloysius Gonzaga is visiting the sick in the
hobbies. There were exercises in trusting Royal Hospital (formerly The Incurables),
others, all of which were useful. Donnybrook.
During the retreat we had opportunities The visit takes place on Tuesday at 4.30
of writing letters to our friends, to our pm. This is preceded by a twenty minute
parents, and even to God saying how much meeting in the Hospital, during which the
we appreciated them. We were also given a Chaplain leads the boys in prayer for the
unique chance of confessing our sins to sick, the minutes are read by the secretary,
God, in the form of a letter which was then a voluntary collection is made by the
burnt in a fire. Treasurer and a general discussion is led by
One of the interesting exercises of the the President about the visitation, the
retreat was a discussion of human sexuality. patients and practical matters connected
This dealt with the male and female views with the life of the Conference.
on the various aspects of physical love. The main function of the meeting is to
On a number of occasions during the prepare the boys for the visit and to deploy
retreat the entire group went and sat in the the forces throughout the wards.
meditation room, and tried to pray. It was a The boys visit six female wards of
most relaxing exercise. approximately twenty-four patients each.
The proceedings were brought to a close Most patients are there for good, many are
each day with a Mass. seriously ill, some have had strokes and
Each day we were supplied with three some are dying. The length of the visit
meals and four coffee breaks. At a cost of varies from twenty minutes to an hour and
63
SIXTH YEAR RETREAT £1 7, even on the purely material plane, it
was great value for the money!
On the 11 and 12 October 1984 half the Those who took part in the Retreat were:
sixth year went on Retreat in Tabor House, Mark Appleby; Niall Bresli n; Stephen
Milltown Park. The exercises of the Retreat Brien; Michael Conlon; David Costello;
lasted each day from 9.30 am to 6.0. pm. Morgan Curran; Michael Deeny; Colin
At the beginning of the retreat we were Doherty; William Dundon; Peter F. Fahy;
exhorted to give ourselves wholly to the John Gibney; Cormac Larkin; Malachy
different exercises, and I think it can be said McAllister; Kevin McDermott; Philip
that we did so. To my personal joy the Marmion; David Nolan; David
exercises were not of the 'charismatic hold- O'Callaghan; David O'Donoghue; Brian
bandies' type. They were simple but O'Donnell; Michael O'Donnell; Eoin
extremely useful lessons in trust of each O'Mahony; Gavin O'Sulli van; Keith Start;
other, and communication, and also dealt David Toner; Brian Walsh.
with the difficult themes of how we felt
when we couldn't converse with others, or Niall Breslin.
on the other hand when our confidences
were broken. THE SOCIETY OF ST
One of the lessons in communication VINCENT DE PAUL
involved standing up and introducing
yourself as the person sitting next to you, The main work of the Conference of St
and giving a brief resume of his family and Aloysius Gonzaga is visiting the sick in the
hobbies. There were exercises in trusting Royal Hospital (formerly The Incurables),
others, all of which were useful. Donnybrook.
During the retreat we had opportunities The visit takes place on Tuesday at 4.30
of writing letters to our friends, to our pm. This is preceded by a twenty minute
parents, and even to God saying how much meeting in the Hospital, during which the
we appreciated them. We were also given a Chaplain leads the boys in prayer for the
unique chance of confessing our sins to sick, the minutes are read by the secretary,
God, in the form of a letter which was then a voluntary collection is made by the
burnt in a fire. Treasurer and a general discussion is led by
One of the interesting exercises of the the President about the visitation, the
retreat was a discussion of human sexuality. patients and practical matters connected
This dealt with the male and female views with the life of the Conference.
on the various aspects of physical love. The main function of the meeting is to
On a number of occasions during the prepare the boys for the visit and to deploy
retreat the entire group went and sat in the the forces throughout the wards.
meditation room, and tried to pray. It was a The boys visit six female wards of
most relaxing exercise. approximately twenty-four patients each.
The proceedings were brought to a close Most patients are there for good, many are
each day with a Mass. seriously ill, some have had strokes and
Each day we were supplied with three some are dying. The length of the visit
meals and four coffee breaks. At a cost of varies from twenty minutes to an hour and
63
