President's Message by Lise Schmidt

On behalf of the Board of Directors and the Staff of the Martha Retreat Centre I would like to wish each and every one of you a blessed and wonderful new year! My name is Lise Schmidt and I will be serving as Board President for this coming year.

I would like to take this time to thank our past Board President, Mr. Bob Campbell, for his leadership, dedication, wisdom and overall generosity to the Martha Retreat Centre. After accepting the call, in 2016, from the last three Sisters living at the Centre to be part of the group of 5 to begin the work of continuing to provide the legacy of the Sisters, Bob has worked tirelessly to ensure our Board carries on the mandate of the Sisters of St. Martha. His retirement from our Board of Directors leaves a big void for us to fill. It is with humility that I take over from Bob, and I hope I can serve this wonderful Centre with as much love and wisdom as he did. We all wish Bob the best in his retirement from the Board and we look forward to continuing seeing him run his book studies and retreats!

It is with great joy that I introduce 5 new Board members who have agreed to join our team. Please welcome Dan Banmann, Trudy Carrels, Kevin Cowan, Phil Rosenzweig and Brad Wolcott. We are very excited to have these new recruits onboard as they all bring some very special and unique skills to our Board of Directors. We have a lot of work to do yet at the Centre and we know our new Board members will be pivotal in helping us attain our goals.

Dear friends and patrons of the Martha Retreat Centre, we are looking forward to walking with you over the course of 2022 as we navigate the situations of our current reality. We review and adjust our programs to best meet your needs as patrons. Please continue to check the website for updates or call the Centre if you have any questions.

“As a result of all this, my beloved brothers and sisters, you must stand firm, unshakable, excelling in the work of the Lord as always, because you know that your labor isn’t going to be for nothing in the Lord.” – 1 Corinthians 15:58

Board Reflection by Lise Schmidt

The Mission Statement for the Martha Retreat Centre Society is: “To provide a quiet, welcoming space where people, individually or in groups, can come away and rest awhile, nourish their spirits and open their hearts to God’s call to them in the current reality of their life’s circumstances.”

Our last discussion about the Mission Statement centered around the words “…nourish their spirits and open their hearts to God’s call to them in the current reality of their life’s circumstances.” As a Board of Directors, we were asked what these words mean to us - when applied to the Centre – and here are a few of our responses:

* A strong feeling of responsibility to serve our friends and participants

*  There is much out there that provides physical nourishment (education about

food, exercise) but what we offer is spiritual nourishment. Its not advertised that

way yet it is like a quest we have to provide.

* Feeding that part of ourselves

* Freedom to share with unconditional acceptance

* Experienced without being judged – meeting people where they are in their lives

*  ‘In the current reality’ - it serves as a safe place, nonjudgmental, acceptance,

welcomed with open arms.

*  We provide a welcoming atmosphere, a sacred place where one can slow down,

be still and hear the voice of God. We provide space for silence.

* Some come for quiet but now always. Their hearts are restless until they rest in their own God. They come restless and not always to be with the God we know,

which makes it special for them to be how and with their God as they define that.

* Current state creates anxiety, worry, uncertainty. Maybe a call that this current

life is not working for us and God’s calling us to change.

*  It means we provide an opportunity and share a responsibility to offer the

reassurance and calmness participants are seeking. Spiritual health is needed

and necessary. Its a nourishment of the heart. God is calling us too, to help

people find the spiritual nourishment the Centre offers.

The “current reality” we have all lived through over the course of these last couple of years has certainly added stress to some people’s lives. However, we must remember that the Centre’s focal point does not change – we are here to provide the same warm, welcoming atmosphere that has touched the lives and hearts of so many participants during these last 5 decades. At the Martha Retreat Centre, you can come into our doors and feel accepted no matter where you are on your personal journey. As a Board of Directors, it is an honor for us to be part of so many journeys!

UPCOMING EVENTS