For the past thirty years Ardfert Retreat Centre has been a place to “come apart for a while” and find rest with God. The people of Kerry and further afield come to this oasis to find balance in their busy lives. They go away renewed and refreshed.

The history of the development of the Retreat Centre is interesting. In the 1950’s the house was a Mercy Juniorate which serviced the Mission of Mercy in Sacramento. In the late 1970’s the diocese took over the building as a Retreat Centre. It was staffed by Presentation Sisters and Sisters of Mercy from the Kerry Diocese. The Mercy Sisters later withdrew from this ministry and in l981 the Presentation Sisters undertook the management of the Centre. However, due to a reduction in membership and the lack of vocations, it became evident by Summer 2003 that the Presentation Sisters would not be able to maintain this position into the future. Subsequent to this decision Bishop Murphy appealed to several Religious Congregations to assume responsibility for this ministry. The Provincial Team of the Southern Province of the Sisters of Mercy responded positively to this request. After a period of discernment, an inter-congregational team was nominated. It comprised four Sisters of Mercy from the Southern Province, Magdalen Agar and Goretti Murphy (part-time members), Bina Hogan and Angela Kiely, Molly Farrelly, a Presentation Sister, and Breda O’Shea, an Ursuline Sister. Fr. Nicholas Flynn, a Kerry Diocesan Priest, was then Director of the Centre.

Saturday, April 3rd, 2004 marked another milestone in the history of the Retreat Centre when the handing over of its administration was ritualised by Bishop Murphy. Representatives from each of the fifty-four parishes in the diocese gathered for the historic occasion to welcome the new Retreat Team. We felt humbled and encouraged by the wonderful welcome and support we received. During the Service, Sr. Mary Hoare, on behalf of the Presentation Sisters, offered a lighted candle to Bishop Murphy to mark the closure. The candle was then passed by the Bishop to Sr. Loretto Crowley, Provincial, Sisters of Mercy, Southern Province to symbolise the continued work of the Centre. Each member of the Team received a lighted candle from her Provincial/Congregational Leader as she was missioned to the Ardfert Community and its special ministry. At the end of the ceremony, Bishop Murphy thanked the outgoing Presentation Sisters for their wonderful work over the years. During tea following the ceremony, we met with parishioners and were inspired by their appreciation of the Sisters and their work.

For each of us, members of the new team, we were now taking a step into the unknown. As well as taking up a new ministry, in a new place, we were also joining a new Community – an Inter-Congregational group. Our commitment at that time was for three years and now six years later four of us are still here. Bina, due to ill health, was unable to continue her ministry here. Magdalen withdrew after four years. While with us, both of them, made a valuable contribution. Unfortunately they have not been replaced. We were fortunate to have Fr. Nicholas as our director in the early years. He has since been replaced by Fr. Liam Lovell. We are truly blessed in that we “inherited” an experienced and committed secretary and catering staff who have contributed so much to the smooth running of the Centre.

Ministry
Hospitality is an important part of our ministry. We try to create a place of welcome, in a peaceful and reflective atmosphere, which promotes prayer and provides opportunity for growth in Christian Spirituality.  To visit our website, please click here.

Ardfert Retreat Centre is a place of pilgrimage.  Each year 4,000 – 5,000 people avail of the facility to come on retreat. These retreats include 6-day residential (preached or directed), weekend, day or evening retreats. The Evening Retreats on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings are from 7.30 – 10.30 pm or 8.00 – 11.00 pm. Most of the parishes in the diocese avail of the opportunity of coming to the Centre for these evenings of Renewal and Faith Development involving input, prayer, reflection and sacramental celebration. Some parishes choose to do a day retreat on Saturday or Sunday 10.00 am – 5.00 pm instead of the evening retreat. These days/nights take place within the September to April/May season.

• We also facilitate Retreats for the Kerry Diocesan Clergy, one in January and one in June. The Limerick Clergy have one Retreat in May, and a second one in September.
• This year the Centre is being used for a Foyer of Charity 5-day Silent Retreat directed by Fr. Kilian Byrne.

Other Activities
A variety of workshops, e.g., Myers Briggs, Bereavement, Celtic Spirituality, Cosmology, Enneagram, Creative Spirituality, de Mello Spirituality, Ancestral Journey.

• Taize Prayer: Wednesday in Holy Week.
• Spiritual Direction available on request.
• An Evening of Prayer and Reflection for those whose lives have been touched by cancer.
• Advent and Lenten Programme
• Outreach Programme: At the request of the priests we have travelled to many of the surrounding parishes conducting Weeks of Guided Prayer. They, in turn, have been very supportive of us in this work. It has been a humbling and enriching experience for us, as people in the various parishes were so open and trusting in sharing their lives with us.
• Radio Kerry: We have availed of this facility – Molly does a slot on Horizon Programme once a month to inform people of forthcoming events. Breda and I do Thought for the Day from time to time.
• We have been invited to go to Lourdes on the Annual Kerry Diocesan Pilgrimage and do a talk on Prayer and a Holy Hour for the pilgrims. This was done by priests up to five years ago, but since then, at Bishop Murphy’s request, one of us Sisters at the Retreat Centre, has taken on this ministry.

On Reflection
As I look back on the last six years I realize that it has been a really enriching time for me. One of the desires of Bishop Murphy for our group was that we would be a faith community. We have struggled with this and despite the inevitable ups and downs of Community living, we have journeyed well. We have grown from sharing our charisms and gifts with each other. Through our Team meetings and our monthly faith sharing, community has been enriched. We have seen a growth in Faith Development in the parish groups who come here. They are now open to new methods of prayer and are comfortable with meditation, silence and sacred music. In the past two years, various new groups have come and asked us to give them a day or a half-day of prayer e.g., to help them prepare for Christmas.

With its lakes and mountains and beaches living in Kerry has been a great bonus. Here in Ardfert we cannot but be aware of the natural beauty that surrounds us. The Cathedral and the Abbey add their own distinctive character to the environment. Walking on Banna beach is truly conducive to reflective prayer and communing with God – no better place to observe and become drawn into the magnificence of glorious sunrises and sunsets. Siamsa Tire – National Folk Theatre, which tours regularly throughout Ireland and abroad, is at our doorstep, so we avail of this facility from time to time and enjoy an evening of traditional music, dance, drama and song.

Personally, I am grateful for the opportunity afforded me to work in Ardfert Retreat Centre for the past six years. I have found fulfillment in this work and I have also been challenged to deepen my own prayer life. It has truly been a graced and enriching experience for me, so, it is with sadness that some of us leave this sacred place at the end of the Summer. Our hope and prayer is that the work will continue. Perhaps some of you, reading this, may consider spending a year or two working in this ministry at the Retreat Centre in Ardfert. If so, Bishop Bill Murphy would be delighted to hear from you and I know that it will be a very worthwhile and rewarding experience for you.

“Glory be to God, whose power working in us can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine.”

 

Angela Kiely rsm
Southern Province