Women of diocese attend retreat at Briar Cliff

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
August 12, 2004

Are you a sinner, saint or mystic? This was the question asked of the women of the Diocese of Sioux City who recently attended a women's retreat on the Briar Cliff University campus on Aug. 7 and 8.

About 30 women attended the two-day retreat at Briar Cliff. The women were from different areas of the diocese including Cherokee, Sioux City, Spirit Lake, Quimby, Ida Grove, Hospers, Le Mars, Lake View, Fort Dodge, Remsen, Sioux Center, Arcadia and Carroll. Other women attending were from Iowa City, Omaha and Jonesboro, Ga.

The women that live outside Sioux City were given the opportunity to stay on the Briar Cliff campus for a night in Noonan Hall.

The theme for the retreat was Sinner, Saint or Mystic? Sister Margaret Jungers, OSF the speaker and leader of the retreat, is the director of the Shalom Retreat Center in Dubuque that is operated by the Sisters of St. Francis of Dubuque.

"As I talked about all these areas, I used the historical character of Francis of Assisi," said Sister Margaret. "As we look at him, we also look at ourselves. I think that it is important to have head knowledge about Francis. What does his story open in my spiritual story?"

Sister Margaret also gave a retreat at Briar Cliff five years ago about significant spiritual women such as women of the Bible and women of the world. Not only has Sister Margaret been at BC for retreats, several of the women attended for the second time or even fifth or sixth time. One woman commented that she attended the first women's retreat at Briar Cliff many years ago.

"I try to probe with the women their understanding of themselves in regards to their humanity, their potential for saintliness and where they fall in the whole area of mysticism," said Sister Margaret. "Have they had a mystical experience? It is an experience that might be more common than they think. It is just to jog their imagination about who they are spiritually. They have much more potential spiritually than they give themselves credit for."

The retreat began with registration at 9 a.m. on Aug. 7. The rest of the day consisted of three conferences, prayer and reflection, vespers in the Our Lady of Grace Chapel and two meals. Sister Margaret gave the conferences.

After each conference, the women were given questions that they could personally reflect on as well as talk about in a group. For example after the first conference, the women were asked: Is it my humanity with which I struggle? Do I focus more on my sinfulness than on my saintliness or mystical dimensions.

The women were given time during the afternoon to spend time alone or to watch videos about the lives of St. Francis or St. Clare. They were also given the choice to participate in the sacrament of reconciliation at a local parish, to go on a Canticle Walk or to visit the Queen of Peace Shrine at Trinity Heights.

"It is always inspiring for me to see women leaving their very busy lives to take a weekend to get closer to the Lord," said Sister Grace Ann Witte, part of the planning committee for the retreat.

On Aug. 8, the retreat participants attended Mass in the Our Lady of Grace Chapel, brunch in the Stark Student Center and two more conferences.

At the end of the retreat, there was a closing prayer and the women were asked to fill out an evaluation form about the weekend that they spent in prayer and reflection.

"I think at the core of who we are, we are spiritual people," said Sister Margaret. "Our life has more meaning, more depth if we get more in touch with that spiritual side of ourself. I think we make a difference in the world."