“All guests who present themselves are to be welcomed as Christ. . .” These are the opening words of chapter 53 of The Rule of St. Benedict, authored by St. Benedict of Nursia (480 - 547) sometime in the sixth century. Although monasticism predates St. Benedict, it was Benedict who created a rule of life for his monastic community that lives on to this day. When we think of classic monasticism, we usually think of Benedict. Many of the well-known Episcopal and Anglican monastic communities describe themselves as Benedictine.
In chapter 53 of his Rule, Benedict discusses how monks are to welcome guests at the monastery. The chapter is worth reading in its entirety, but two sentences are especially striking: “All humility should be shown in addressing a guest on arrival or departure. By a bow of the head or by a complete prostration of the body, Christ is adored because he is indeed welcomed in them” [The Rule of St. Benedict, ed. Timothy Fry (New York: Vintage, 1998), 51]. The mark of many modern monastic houses is hospitality. While some monasteries are known for producing cheese, agricultural products, wine, or even Chartreuse!, many are oriented towards welcoming guests.
And this is precisely the impetus for our new retreat house at Good Shepherd: the Rosemont Community Retreat House. We are not, of course, a monastery, but there is a somewhat Benedictine rhythm to our worship. It is quasi-monastic. Our retreat house will not (at least at first!) be known for producing garden vegetables or cheese or beer. We will be known for welcoming guests. And if we heed the words of Benedict’s Rule, we will welcome each guest as Christ himself.
This, however, should not be solely a monastic or retreat house posture. Every Christian is called to welcome and treat others as Christ himself. Indeed, such welcome is scriptural. Benedict himself quotes our Lord’s words from Matthew 25:35: “I was a stranger and you welcomed me.”
In welcoming guests through our retreat house, we will not only be heeding Jesus’s commandment; we will be offering charity and hospitality to those in need, whether spiritual or material. All of us have needs and are poor in some sense. But those of us on the welcoming end of the retreat house will also be changed in the process, I pray. There is a sacrificial component to entrusting one’s rooms or space to a stranger. Trust must be involved. It is not always comfortable. And yet, it is spiritually nourishing for us to open our space and our hearts to strangers.
It is also my prayer that this parish will come to embrace the retreat house as a collective ministry, for this house cannot be run only by me, the staff, and the vestry. It is our shared ministry. Ways in which you can help will become more evident over time, but right now, there are things you can do.
You can volunteer to stay after Mass on a Sunday, or come on a weekday at your convenience, to move furniture, tidy up rooms, decorate, and organize. We need your help. Let me know if you can.
You can spread the word to others whom you think would benefit from a retreat here. Retreats are available for individuals and groups, and we will host many day retreats on Saturdays. Learn more here.
You can donate or purchase furniture items. We especially need comfortable sitting chairs, desks, lamps (table and floor), and a chest freezer for food storage.
You can help us fundraise so that we do not draw from our meager investments to support this new ministry. One of the easiest ways to fundraise is to establish a Facebook fundraiser to benefit a non-profit, in this case, the Church of the Good Shepherd. Choose “The Church of the Good Shepherd, Bryn Mawr” in the fundraising section of your Facebook page, set up a fundraiser, and let people know that they will be supporting the Rosemont Community Retreat House. (I recently did this and raised $1,300.) Consider doing this on your birthday. The church will automatically be mailed a check at the end of the fundraiser.
You can sidestep a fundraiser and donate yourself. It’s easy. Click here and choose the “retreats” dropdown option.
You can volunteer to welcome families, as Christ himself, from Hosts for Hospitals when they begin lodging here. You can also prepare meals and drop them off for families or stock them in our future chest freezer.
You can offer to help with the laundry after guests depart or restock the kitchens from time to time.
And last, but not least, you can commit to joining in our regular public rhythm of prayer, whether by coming to Morning or Evening Prayer on weekdays, or to Low Masses on Wednesday and Friday mornings at 8 a.m., as well as on all Major Holy Days. This rhythm of prayer will be the heart and bedrock of our retreat house, and it takes a community to make it happen.
These are only some of the many ways you can help. Please let me know if you would like to participate in this ministry in some way. Financial and practical help is important, but I hope you might consider ways of helping that allow you to interact with our guests themselves so that you can truly welcome each one of them as Christ himself, in the person, in the flesh. This personal relationship is the very heart of mission and outreach.
Finally, do stay tuned for more information on day retreats throughout the year. The first one will be a women’s day retreat hosted by Chris Wittrock, our Parish Administrator, on September 17. Register here. This retreat house is very much a community retreat house. In the fall, we are planning to host a series of conversations and educational offerings geared towards parents and children/youth around mental health and well-being. There will be more like this. Perhaps you have ideas, too.
It is my prayer that this retreat house will welcome all as Christ himself. That is the mark of true Christian hospitality. As a former sign in front of the church on Lancaster Avenue read, “Our Minds and Our Hearts Are Open.” Now, it’s time to put that statement into practice. Will you join us?
Yours in Christ,
Father Kyle