St. Charles Faith Sharing Group has finished another year. As is our custom, we took a day-long car trip to some interesting sites outside the city, along with a stop for lunch.
This year the group was guided through St. Benedict’s Retreat and Conference Centre by Director Mary Coswin. We ended the tour by joining the sisters for noon day prayers in the chapel. We strolled the grounds and silently walked on the labyrinth. The original function of labyrinths remains elusive, but some labyrinths, like Chartres in France, were used as a substitute for pilgrimages to the Holy Land during the Crusades. Today labyrinths are enjoying a revival as stress relievers and meditative tools.
Our next stop was Captain Kennedy Museum and Tea House which was built in 1866 by Captain William Kennedy an explorer, entrepreneur and trader. The glassed-in tearoom overlooks English gardens and the river. We enjoyed a delicious lunch and beautiful view.
We continued the day by visiting St. Andrews on the Red Anglican Church, which is the oldest stone church in Western Canada being used as a place of worship. The church was built between 1845 and 1849. Luckily the minister was in the church and he happily told us the history of the church and answered our questions.
We made a short stop at Lockport, where a dam and lock span across the Red River. This dam causes fish to congregate just below the locks. The fish attract flocks of white pelicans who station themselves at the locks and gorge themselves on the fish.
And what car trip would be complete without a trip to the ice cream store? Yum!
The faith sharing meetings are over for the summer and will resume in September at St. Charles Retreat Centre. The Wednesday mornings begin with Mass in the chapel at 9:00 AM followed by our meeting from 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM. Everyone is invited. For more information call Fran 889-7348.
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