The Webster definition of the word retreat is an act or process of withdrawing especially from what is difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable. The journey of life is sometimes very difficult. It is a natural tendency to withdraw from the craziness of life. However, it is important that when we withdraw or step back that we do it in a positive way and fill ourselves with the goodness of God. Webster provides another important definition of the word retreat. Retreat is a period of group withdrawal for prayer, meditation, study, or instruction under a director.

Through the years, I have been on several one-day retreats usually held in my church. However, recently, I was introduced to a weekend retreat in a beautiful setting in Tampa, Florida.

The history of the Franciscan Center in Tampa begins with the service of the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany, New York. In the 1920s, the Franciscan Sisters established two hospitals in Florida – St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa and St. Anthony’s Hospital in St. Petersburg. In 1965, Joseph Miyares, an attorney in the Tampa area, became good friends with the Franciscan Sisters at St. Joseph’s Hospital. Deeply impressed by the mission and hospitality of the Franciscan Sisters, Joseph Miyares donated eight acres of his Riverside Heights property to be used for spiritual and educational purposes.

The local Provincial for the Franciscan Sisters at the time was Sister Lucien Walsh, OSF. Upon accessing the beauty of the eight-acre property located along the Hillsborough River, Sister Lucien recommended building a retreat house. The present Center opened in October 1970 providing retreats, spiritual direction, and hospitality. Since 1970, the Center has welcomed thousands of people from all faiths. In the spirit of Saint Francis of Assisi, the Center continues to welcome anyone who seeks spiritual growth through a deeper relationship with God.

As I explored the grounds of this beautiful Center, my favorite place was the chapel set up inside the Center.

The chapel was always open, and the tabernacle provided Jesus’ presence in a very special way.

Although the retreat center was perfect in so many ways, it is the retreat itself that fills you with God’s goodness.

Shortly after my first book was published, I did a presentation to a group of Emmaus women in a local church. Although I recognized the biblical story of Emmaus and the two disciples who met Jesus as they walked home, I knew nothing more about this group. The leader of the group, Deb Reedy, invited me to attend the Emmaus Retreat. My calendar was finally clear for the February 2025 retreat to be held at the Franciscan Center. As I packed my suitcase for the weekend, I had no idea what to expect.

During the retreat, I learned the history of the Emmaus Retreats. Myrna Gallagher was a Catholic religious educator. In 1978, Myrna began the Emmaus Retreats at St. Louis parish in the Archdiocese of Miami with a focus on the Emmaus story. In this story, two of Jesus’ disciples are walking home to Emmaus. They are downtrodden and upset about all that had happened to Jesus. They loved Jesus and believed He was the Messiah; however, His crucifixion was not what they expected. And so, it goes with life! So many things happen in our lives that we do not expect to happen.

I cannot say enough great things about this weekend experience. Although I was apprehensive when I first arrived, by the end of the weekend, I was filled with God’s love in a very special way.

The Emmaus Retreats came to my area of Florida in July 2017. Deb Reedy from Espiritu Santo Catholic Church in Safety Harbor and Kathy Woods from Saint Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in Clearwater facilitated the first Emmaus Retreat in my area. These special retreats continue today not only in Miami and Tampa, but in many other areas worldwide. In addition to Florida, retreats are held in several states including Massachusetts and Arizona. Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa, Philippines, and Singapore are a few of the countries offering the Emmaus Retreat experience.

Although I spend a lot of time traveling to different countries, I am convinced that there are treasures to be found in our own backyards. The Emmaus Retreat is one treasure that I am glad I found. I challenge you to research your area to see if this retreat is an option near you. If not, I am sure you have a retreat center in your area like the beautiful Franciscan Center here in Tampa.

Retreats are an important way to step back and re-group from life’s twists and turns through prayer, meditation, and study.

Have you been on a retreat lately?

Be encouraged, be brave, be adventurous and choose to spend time with God at a retreat center near you.

The story of Emmaus is one of the Stations of the Resurrection. Read about this story in my book The Way of Light: The Story behind the Stations of the Resurrection.

The Emmaus story is also one of the Stations of the Eucharist. In my latest book The Stations of the Eucharist – from Melchizedek to the Book of Revelation – I write about the Emmaus story from a female perspective.

Both books received the Nihil Obstat from the diocese of Saint Petersburg, Florida.

If you have a copy of these books, be sure to leave a review on Amazon!

Happy Reading Everyone - And enjoy the video below of the beautiful Franciscan Center.