The North American Center for Marianist Studies (NACMS), an entity of the Marianist Province of the United States, is pleased to offer The Spirit of Saragossa Retreat.

The Spirit of Saragossa Retreat

This retreat is for seasoned religious and lay Marianists as a support in confirming  and strengthening their commitment in living the Marianist charism. 

The Spirit of Saragossa Retreat invites a retreatant into the ‘spirit’ of Father Chaminade’s own transformative experience before Our Lady of the Pillar in Saragossa, Spain during his three-year exile (1797-1800) during the French Revolution. 

This retreat is based on the foundation that “God so loved the world that God sent The Beloved Son, born of a woman, that all who believe in him might have life.” This retreat moves one prayerfully through four Marian mysteries as found in the Scriptures (the Annunciation, at the foot of the cross at Calvary, at Pentecost in the Upper Room, and at the wedding feast at Cana). Through these Mysteries the retreatant comes to know on a deeper level, Jesus – God’s love Incarnate, living among us through the person of Mary. 

The Spirit of Saragossa Retreat was developed in 2008 by an international team of Marianist brothers, sisters, and priests to be an extended retreat experience, a 30-day retreat, for Marianist religious preparing for final vows (perpetual profession). 

For those who cannot get away for the long retreat this directed retreat has been adapted for religious and lay Marianists as a “retreat in daily life.” In this style the retreatant continues in his or her daily life with a focused daily prayer time, some reflective writing, and weekly direction meetings with the retreat director. This style of the retreat is spread out over a period of about five months.