Marygrove Retreat Center - Home to Tranquility and Spirtual Renewal

So many retreatants comment on how clean and well kept the guestrooms and meeting rooms are at Marygrove. It is a credit to the way the Marygrove Staff members care for the building as they conscientiously do their work. However, in recent years, cracks have appeared in guestroom ceilings and walls, the carpet has become matted and stained in hallways, bedspreads have faded and shrunk, blankets have frayed, and the sun has worn the curtains thin. At some point, one has to accept that no amount of cleaning, patching and fixing is sufficient. And something has to be done.

In response to this need, a renovation of the Marygrove guestrooms and halls has begun. Paint, carpet, curtains, comforters, blankets, bed headboards, and some light fixtures... all fresh and new. The second and third floor guestrooms and halls are planned to be renovated first, with the first floor guestrooms to be done later, as they were more recently renovated than the rest. The intent is to keep things simple and modest, but tasteful and of good quality. Colors and fabrics have been chosen that are both warm and hospitable. We want people to be comfortable and at ease when they are on retreat.

If you would like to make a contribution to help support the Guestroom renovation, please contact Fr. Jamie Ziminski at Marygrove. Some friends of Marygrove have already given “seed money” to begin the project, but quite a bit more is needed to complete the good work that has begun. Please consider making a special contribution for this important renovation. For all those who come to Marygrove to deepen their faith, please be generous in your support.

New Life Begins at Marygrove What to Bring on Retreat: An Open-Heart

In her book, Small Surrenders, Emilie Griffin writes:

“Retreat houses are often beautiful not in the worldly way of having fine furnishings and possessions, but in the unworldly way of bringing us into the presence of God. We may find ourselves in a country setting, where windows or balconies take us near a river or give us a mountain view. There may be flowers in bloom... These are striking; they speak to us when we pray.”

As spring comes to Garden, Michigan, Emilie Griffin’s words capture the unique character of Marygrove. Perhaps there are no balconies or mountain views. But there are so many graces that speak to visitors when they slow down, rest and pray. The quiet Gazebo proves to be a sacred place of rest in the shadow of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. If one sits long enough under the cedars by the grotto of our Lady of Lourdes, he or she might be visited by a squirrel, a rabbit or even a fawn. A prayerful stroll along the newly restored Stations of the Cross, a rustic prayer path framed by waving gladiolas, tiny forget-me-nots and fiery columbine; every step with a blessing, like the recitation of another bead of a rosary. A luxurious nap on a cushioned Adirondack chair on the sheltered side of the arbor arch. A meditation on the front patio by the statue of Mary. A relaxing moment of solitude on the comfortable swing before the statue of St. Francis of Assisi in the seclusion of the back garden. All these can be moments of grace that call us to be aware of God’s presence.

“But I have also learned this about retreat houses; they are places of hospitality, all right, but we must come to them with an open heart, an interior disposition to grace. It is our open-heartedness that makes the place beautiful. We have gone there in hopes of meeting with Jesus Christ, Our Lord. That inner disposition is what counts.”

Griffen again captures what only those who make retreats understand. As wonderful as a place like Marygrove is, it is actually the inner disposition we bring that makes these spiritual experiences transforming. It is the open-heartedness that allows the Cursillos and the Youth Encounters to change lives. It is a spiritual docility that allows a Silent Directed Retreat to give new insight and new direction to a person’s life. It is a hungry soul that makes Parish Retreats, Wise Men’s and Wise Women’s Weekends experiences of God’s powerful presence.

“Whether a retreat house is old or new, whatever tradition it keeps, whether the food is generous or sparse, whether the desert is real desert with sand, or is a desert in the midst of the city, there is a blessing in a retreat lasting one day, three days, or more. We are following the custom of Jesus, who went apart to pray. And when we do this, we find him there.”