Integrating Faith and Spirituality on Eyre Peninsula

Thuruna, (meeting place) is a wonderful venue by the sea on pristine coastline, and was the gathering and meeting place recently for around 30 women from Eyre Peninsula.  They met to hear from the wisdom and experience of Sr. Mary Cresp RSJ as she shared ‘Integrating Faith and Spirituality’.  Basing her story around Mary McKillop and Fr. Julian Tennyson-Woods, she compared the similarities of faith growth and the pattern on the life of a river.  In its early stages, the upper reaches of the river flow quietly before gathering momentum and vibrancy in the third stage it slows and meanders gathering sediment before depositing its total load.  Finally all life comes from the sea and ultimately goes back to the sea.  Like the river in the final stages our life can contain some of the richest blessings.  Beautiful photographs Sr. Mary had taken of the River Murray illustrated her story. We are bearers of the tradition and people who have gone before us and who have shared their faith, have in doing so handed the tradition on to us.  We were invited to reflect on a religious moment that we had experienced, and to share that with the person next to us.  “We all have spiritual moments it is part of being human, and religious moments will finde expression in prayer and worship” Sr. Mary said.  Attending, inquiring interpreting and acting the stages of developing faith were explained, and deepened our understanding of how the links of spirituality and religion are connected.  Finally on the Sunday, the consequences of not linking ourselves to social spirituality and religion were presented.  The retreat is an opportune time for each and every one of us to examine where we are,  and where we are going. There was plenty of time set aside for us to reflect on the teachings from Sr Mary and to connect with God in the wide open spaces and on long beach walks. This annual retreat is a real oasis for so many women in this remote part of South Australia, where we gather to refresh our faith, renew friendships and receive God’s graces in abundance through the teachings we received and the love we share with each other.. Expressions of gratitude were given to Sr. Mary for her sharing, to Mary Westlake for her organising and to Elizabeth Harvey for her catering.  Fr John Stuart-James celebrated Mass for the Women’s Retreat before they left for their homes across the region.