2018 St. Mary Men's Retreat focuses on the healing of the Sacrament of Reconciliation

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This year's men's retreat, held near Bloomington, Idaho, drew men from throughout the Diocese of Salt Lake City, Idaho and California.

Adam Ringel

During the eighth annual St. Mary Men’s Retreat, 47 men studied the 7 Secrets of Confession, in which author Vinny Flynn shares his approach to the Sacrament of Confession with emphasis on the seven truths that must be realized to get the full grace of this sacrament. Using this book, the Holy Spirit guided us as in the past to reflect upon this great gift and to come to a better understanding of how our Lord wants us to use this to become more like Him.

The retreat, which was held Aug. 10-12 at a site near Bloomington, Idaho, united men from parishes throughout the Diocese of Salt Lake City as well as from Malad, Idaho and Edwards Air Force Base in California.  This annual retreat has become an enduring spiritual journey, allowing men to freely and openly confront their personal “demons,” sometimes for the first time in their life.

Father Gustavo Vidal, pastor of St. Mary Parish in West Haven and leader of these annual retreats, said the retreat can lead to transformations in men’s lives. The annual event, which started in 2011, has evolved beyond his expectations, he said.

Fr. Marcos Sanchez, pastor of the Malad, Idaho missions, attended the retreat for the first time this year and gave new perspectives to the teachings.

This year’s retreat had the highest number of fathers and sons in attendance. This allowed the Holy Spirit to come upon us and shift the focus of the retreat from “forgiveness” into something more “healing,” which is at the core of this great sacrament.

In conjunction with the 77th anniversary of the martyrdom of St. Maximilian Kolbe, the men at the retreat included 17 new consecrates. The men, along with those back at St. Mary Church, collectively celebrated the Rite of Consecration to the Immaculata. Each received the Miraculous Medal ordained by Our Lady.  

To allow the “mountaintop experience” of the retreat to translate into a lived reality, men must continue to meet for mutual support to apply the principles they discovered during a retreat. Therefore, St. Mary Parish hosts monthly gatherings under the banner “Flame Keepers” to allow the men to fan the spiritual flames ignited by the retreat.

Those interested can become involved with Flame Keepers now to prepare for attending next year’s retreat, which is scheduled for Aug. 9-11, 2019.  For information, contact mensretreat.stmarys@gmail.com.

Pictures of the annual retreats and details about next year’s retreat may be found at the St. Mary website, www.stmarysutah.org.