Priest Retreat to be Held in Wigratzbad in May, 2015

The death of Fr. Kenneth Walker, FSSP, in June of this past year, caused Fr. Armand de Malleray, the Chaplain of the Confraternity of St. Peter, to reflect on the life of the consecrated man and the Four Last Things: Death, Judgment, Hell, and Heaven.  Father de Malleray plans to preach on this subject in his upcoming retreat in Witgratzbad, Germany, in May of 2015.  He is inviting priests to attend this retreat.

According to God’s bounty, our destination is eternal happiness with Him. No one ends up in Hell against their will. But the consecration of priests to God entails specific commitments, and endows them with specific graces. The sanctification and salvation of priests depends on how clearly they understand those commitments and how lovingly they correspond to those graces.

For English-speaking clergy, seminarians or religious in England, Europe, and throughout the world, this invitation is for you.

WHEN: The retreat will be held at the Marian Shrine of Wigratzbad, Bavaria, from Monday, May 4, 2015 through Friday, May 8, 2015.

FOR WHOM: Not only priests (diocesan or other), but any consecrated men are welcome, including deacons and religious, as well as seminarians (cum permissione superiorum), irrespective of nationality and country of residence.

SCHEDULE:  One conference preached in English in the morning and another one in the afternoon. Daily Eucharistic Adoration at the shrine (with optional Rosary). Private Masses in the Ordinary or Extraordinary Form as you prefer. Latin Compline (on option: EF Divine Office and Community Mass with the 80 seminarians). Meals in silence with table readings. Optional private meeting with Retreat Master. Several English speaking confessors.

TRAVEL  FROM ENGLAND: the simplest is to book your Ryanair direct flight return from London Stansted to Memmingen airport. Transfer to and from Wigratzbad by hired coach will be organized for our group. In case you prefer to drive or take the train, the nearest railway station is HERGATZ (1 mile from Wigratzbad), on the Munich-Lindau-Zurich line. Friedrichshafen airport is 40mn drive, Zurich airport is 1h40 drive, and Munich airport 1h50 drive. By train from either airport: Zurich (Swiss rail: www.sbb.ch/en/home.html); Munich (German rail: www.bahn.de/i/view/GBR/en/index.shtml).

TRAVEL FROM OUTSIDE ENGLAND: nearest airports: Zurich; Munich (either airport is about 2 hours drive/train from Wigratzbad).

ACCOMMODATIONS:  Single bedrooms are booked for us in Wigratzbad at the Pilgerheim St. Josef (www.gebetsstaette.de). En-suite shower and WC. Bed sheets and towels will be provided.

Full board (breakfast, lunch and supper provided)

Wigratzbad in a hamlet where the two main buildings are the diocesan Marian shrine (church + pilgrims hostel) – and the ‘Priesterseminar Sankt Petrus’ (the international seminary run by the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter, located across the street on Kirchstrasse 16, D-88145, Wigratzbad, Germany. About 80 seminarians study there, mostly from Europe).

SHRINE UPDATE: after two years of refurbishment, the large shrine church is now fully operational, allowing our group to attend the community liturgies at will.

Blog of the seminary in Wigratzbad: http://fsspwigratzbad.blogspot.co.uk/.

LITURGY: any participant may attend or offer Holy Mass in the liturgical Form of their choice, as the diocesan shrine where we stay is equipped for both the Ordinary and the Extraordinary Forms.

WHAT TO BRING:

• Priests: Own alb, amice, purificator(s), pall, corporal, cincture (biretta is optional).
• Priests/Deacons: Surplice and white stole for Eucharistic adoration.
• Alarm clock.
• Outdoor footwear and clothes for walks.
• Good spiritual books for your personal meditation, as there will not be a library available and the local bookshop sells books in German only.
• Pad and pen if you wish to take notes during our two daily conferences.

ARRIVAL: Monday 4 May afternoon: landing at Memmingen Airport and 40-minute drive to Wigratzbad. (Earlier arrival possible).

DEPARTURE: Friday 8 May after lunch; landing in the UK in mid afternoon.

OPTIONS: stay on with us for one day of tourism: Lindau peninsula on Lake Constance, dinner in local ‘Gasthaus’ (restaurant) and colossal Benedictine Abbey of Ottobeuren – with take off from Memmingen on Saturday afternoon.

COST: £290 (all inclusive for 4 full days full board in modern single rooms with en-suite bathroom + conference room + organiZation fees + transportation from the airport and back).

OPTIONAL TOURISM DAY: add £80 extra, i.e. £370 in total.

NOT INCLUDED:  return journey from your parish to Memmingen airport: for convenience, each priest will book his own flight (estimated cost of return flight from England with Ryanair: between £80 and £150).

BOOKING: Please send your Name-Surname-Address-Telephone-Email with your £100 deposit cheque made payable to FSSP ENGLAND to: Clergy Retreat, St John Fisher House, 17 Eastern Avenue, Reading, RG1 5RU, England. [Other currency: contact us.]

Info/Contact: malleray@fssp.org; Tel:  +44 (0)118 966 5284