The Women’s Group of Sint-Kwinten went on its annual retreat from 14 to 16 November. On Friday twelve of us braved the elements, roadworks, and public transportation and made our way to the Centre Spirituel Iganatien La Pairelle in the hills above the Meuse in Namur, where we would spend the next two days.
The topic of this year’s retreat was Wisdom, and we were all looking forward to spending time together and taking a deep dive into Scripture, but first and foremost, to spending time in silence and prayer with the Lord. 
Fr. Thierry Lievens, sj, with knowledge and humour, expertly guided our group through the Book of Wisdom. He created an atmosphere of calm reflection that allowed us to cultivate a deeper understanding of God’s gifts in our lives.
We came together for several sessions during the days, taking a deep dive into scriptural and Church teachings on Wisdom. We then received time for personal prayer and silence, to listen to and encounter God in various ways. Some encountered God in the quiet of their rooms, others in the chapels; and some found serenity in God’s natural creations by exploring the beautiful surroundings of La Pairelle. Afterwards we shared our thoughts and insights within the group. Fr. Thierry celebrated Mass with us every morning, and we came together for joint prayers in the morning and evening as well.
Meal times were especially nice, as we got to know each other better and share our stories and customs from our home countries.
We all enjoyed the joy, warmth, and laughter of our tight-knit group, and we even learned some Swahili hymns!
A big thank you to Fr. Thierry for accompanying us during the retreat, but also to the Community Team of Sint-Kwinten and the Zone team of the Leuven Pastorale Zone, who supported our retreat.
The retreat and the insights it brought still resonate with us, and more than one of the participants already asked: Are we going again next year? The answer is: Yes!
