Sacramentally Married Couple's Retreat: Growing in Love
An Ignatian, Semi-Silent Weekend Retreat for Couples
April 27 - 29, 2018
Groups Attending: Couples
This retreat begins on Friday, but there is still space available. To register, call the office at 847-381-1261.
Summary
Love thrives when it's cultivated. Spend some time tending to your love relationship. Every marriage goes through stages of love--romance, disillusionment, misery, reconciliation and generativity. Each has it own challenges and rewards. It is never too early or too late to nourish your marriage. This uplifting weekend will be mixed with focus talks, prayer, dialogue, couple's enrichment, and practical tools to keep your marriage growing. There will also be plenty of time for reflection and enjoying the beautiful Bellarmine grounds. Join the Sparoughs for this special marriage retreat weekend.
Description
This retreat includes several presentations, daily mass, 6 meals, the opportunity for one-on-one spiritual direction with a trained spiritual director, and many other opportunities to explore our 80 acres and almost 60k square feet of interior space. All activities are optional, but we do ask everyone to respect the quiet of the retreat house for everyone to have the opportunity to read, sleep and reflect in the quiet.
Bellarmine has two libraries, a resource center, two chapels, and many other common areas. Outdoor spaces include a various walking trails, various prayer gardens, a gazebo, stations of the cross, as well as a few patios and outdoor chairs and benches. Each retreatant has their own bedroom.
You can learn more about what to expect by visiting this page.
Retreat Experience Gallery
Bellarmine Main Entrance
Sacred Heart Chapel
Mary McKeon Library
St. Joseph Gazebo
Mother Teresa Garden
Eastern Africa Collection
Fireplace Lounge
Dining Room
Winter on the Grounds
Resource Center
Sacred Heart Statue at Sunset
Susie's Memorial Garden
Madonna Library
Lower Level Lounge
Retreat Leaders
Tom and Geralyn Sparough
The Sparoughs specialize in creative, fun, and enriching programs. They have been married for 32 years, and they met on retreat at the Jesuit Spiritual Center at Milford! A professional storyteller and juggler, Tom has a MA in psychology. A veteran teacher and fiber artist, Geralyn has a MA in counseling. Together they founded Creative Retreat, LLC, an organization helping people and organizations to recognize and utilize their strengths. The Sparoughs have raised two children and are very proud grandparents.They are a trained leader-couple for Better Marriages. They have been keynote presenters for Marriage Encounter and Retrouvaille national and international conferences.
Fr. J. Michael Sparough, SJ
Fr. J. Michael Sparough, SJ is a retreat leader, poet, story teller and spiritual director at the Bellarmine Jesuit Retreat House in Barrington, IL. He holds an MFA from the Yale School of Drama and a Doctor of Ministry from St Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, IL. He is the founder of Charis, a national Jesuit retreat ministry for young adults in their 20s and 30s. For 10 years he trained spiritual directors at Loyola University-Chicago.
A prolific writer and speaker, Fr. Michael has published books, poems, CDs, and DVDs on prayer, discernment, and the sacraments with America Media, Franciscan Media, Paulist Press, Liturgical Training Publications and Audible. His latest co-authored book, published by Loyola Press, is What’s Your Decision? An Ignatian Approach to Decision Making.
Fr Michael is also the President of Heart to Heart Catholic Media Ministry. His weekly video homilies can be seen online at www.HtoH.US. He has just completed writing and directing a 12-part video series entitled: Discern & Decide: Navigating Life’s Choice, An Ignatian Video Guide.