Mary came to the Women of the Well retreat in Mittagong in May 2023 as a legacy to the late Josephite nun & her friend, Sister Lynnie Pearce – an avid supporter of Women of the Well (WoW) – who passed away in November 2022.
Mary sought out guidance from Sr Lynnie of a spiritual retreat for women after nearly 18 months of challenges in the latest season of life.
Isolation; a new suburb to call home, a job with its own challenges - all having an impact on her mental health.
She exuded a sense of hopefulness that she is in the end of that season and coming out the other side stronger. But found that “these few days away with incredible women, where there's no judgment and it's a risk-free environment” has been conducive of revival and renewal in herself.
“I think at my age…we've given so much of ourselves to our families, to our work and our careers that somehow, we've left ourselves behind and this weekend has really, for me, been all about my identity. Of really ‘who is Mary?’ and ‘what have I got to offer?’
"Of the women that I've spoken to, we try to be selfless and coming away on a weekend like this…leaving our family behind, could be deemed a little bit selfish. I think we need to be more self-aware in knowing what we need. I think what they've offered us this weekend is the ability to be able to be in a safe, risk-free, non-judgmental environment where we can be ourselves.”
Mary said the thing that has surprised her the most about the retreat was the connection that was made, so quickly within the small group she was partnered with.
“I believe it's the way that the women, the Soul Sisters, have actually been able to match us in groups and those groups, we had so many things in common. I was feeling a little bit uncomfortable thinking I'll have to share in a whole group, but thank goodness we didn't.”
She enjoyed the flow of the weekend with the small groups, but also the opportunity to connect with so many of the incredible women who attended but were not in her small group.
We asked Mary how she would describe the retreat to someone who might be seeking something more on their life and faith;
“I've spoken to people that are here that go to Church on Sunday, people from other faiths and people that just find their own spiritual happiness other ways. The women make sure that, that is the priority, that it's just finding the Spirit that can fulfil your life in times of hardship and difficulties. They're not telling us to pray to one thing. They're not telling us to go to one thing. They've allowed us the opportunity to explore and to ask some thought-provoking questions. So we can get a bit closer to that Spirit. I think that that's what I'd say these women provide; the opportunities for that deeper relationship to come about.”
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