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| May 2004 |
| Families the focus at Broom Tree Farm |
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Families are going to be the focus in
many ways at the diocese’s Broom Tree Farm Retreat Center
when it is ready and open.
As construction progresses at Broom Tree Farm, Bishop Robert
J. Carlson is promoting how valuable the facility will be to
families across the diocese at a time when families need a place
like Broom Tree. “We know that we have to provide opportunities
in the church for families to be together,” said Bishop
Carlson.
Years ago, the dad would go on retreat one weekend, and the
mom would go on retreat another weekend and while that still
might happen, the bishop wants to do more to promote family
togetherness by offering family retreats at Broom Tree. “We
will be offering family retreats where the whole family goes,”
he said.
When Broom Tree is completed, there will family cabins and camping
opportunities where all family members can be together and benefit
from a retreat.
“Especially in the summer, it will be a place where, for
a modest cost, the family can go have a little vacation, have
access to fishing...plus take part as a family in various religious
activities,” said the bishop.
The family focus is especially important today when society
seems stacked against families. “Everything, it seems,
in society today, seems to fracture the family,” he said.
“South Dakota has the largest number of women who are
working. We have just huge numbers of kids in day care and as
a result, the church has to come up with things that will help
families be together and not fracture the family or separate
it again.”
The bishop said that family centered retreats are not unique
to the Diocese of Sioux Falls and Broom Tree Farm. In at least
eight other places across the country, family retreats are being
offered and are gaining in popularity and exposure.
People often ask the bishop when the retreat center will be
opened. “We tell them we hope to have the main retreat
center open by late fall or by the first of the year, for sure,”
the bishop said.
People also ask him specifically about progress being made on
the family camp. The bishop says the diocese has had “materials
for five of the ten cabins donated and the Knights of Columbus
are in the process of building them and will continue that work
for the next year or so.”
Fundraising efforts are underway now to build the retreat center
lodge.
Some of those funds are coming in the form of donations to sponsor
rooms in the lodge.
Msgr. John McEneaney made one of the donations already in honor
of his parents. “ I was just so impressed by that whole
project,” Msgr. McEneaney said. “I think it’s
a wonderful place for the diocese to have.”
Msgr. McEneaney calls it a privilege to be able to sponsor a
room at the retreat house. “I was blessed to grow up in
a home where there was real faith,” he said. His parents
were supportive of his vocation and Msgr. McEneaney sees his
sponsorship as a nice way to pay homage and respect to the support
his parents gave him as he embarked on his priestly vocation.
Their names will be placed on the door of the room he donated.
All who enter these rooms will be
asked to remember them by name
in their prayers.
Father Luis Mesa is another diocesan priest sponsoring a room
at Broom Tree Farm in honor of his parents.
He says that throughout his life he has always held a special
place for retreat houses.
He calls Broom Tree Farm “a blessing from God” for
the diocese.
As a result, he wanted to help the diocese while remembering
his parents and their impact on his vocation and life. “What
better way to remember my mom and dad than with something that
will really be so positive for so many people,” he said.
You can find out more about sponsoring a room or making another
gift to Broom Tree Farm by contacting The Catholic Foundation
for Eastern South Dakota, 523 North Duluth Avenue, Sioux Falls,
SD 57104, at 605-988-3788 or at www.sfcatholic.org. |
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