American Martyrs Retreat HouseProviding a hospitable environment

and the spiritual means for people to encounter and deepen their

relationship with God.

Newsletter

November 2016 - February 2017

American Martyrs Retreat House2209 North Union RoadCedar Falls, IA 50613-0028

Nonprofit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDCedar Falls, IA 50613

Permit No. 153

American Martyrs Retreat House

February 20172-5 Xavier Kairos5 Secular Franciscans5 Centering Prayer10-12 Engaged Encounter13-14 Society of the Holy Trinity16-17 Presbytery of North Central Iowa17 Waterloo Catholic Faith Formation Team17-19 AMRH Women’s Retreat18 Remarriage Preparation: Two Become One19 Centering Prayer24-25 Northeastern Iowa Synod “Candidacy”25-26 St. Stephen’s Antioch

Email

We email the newsletter to those of you who have requested it, emailing saves AMRH time, money, and resources. However, if you do not have an email account, we will continue to mail it to you.

To receive the newsletter by email, please send your name and email address to: dbqamrhsec@dbqarch.org

Advisory Board

Tom HoagCedar Falls, IA

Jackie Hoggins Plainfield, IA

Luke JensonWaterloo, IA

Deacon Greg LievensAplington, IA

Julie PaladinoWaverly, IA

Dale RothlerAlta Vista, IA

Deacon Al Weber - DirectorCedar Falls, IA

Msgr. Lyle WilgenbuschJesup, IA

SAVE THE DATEDREAM Project

10th Anniversary

July 28, 29 & 30, 2017 www.americanmartyrsretreathouse.com

Centering Prayer Advent RetreatDecember 2-3

Direct registration and/or inquiries for this retreat to: CONI (Contemplative Outreach of Northeast Iowa)

2266 Temple Ave., Waterloo, IA 50702319-232-6835

Retreats

Two Become One: Remarriage ProgramFebruary 18

Congratulations on your engagement! The Catholic Church supports you as you prepare for your married life together. In addition to topics that all engaged couples need to discuss before marriage, couples entering a second mar-riage have special concerns (i.e., blending two families). The Archdiocese of Dubuque recognizes the need to address these issues for a successful second marriage.

The retreat will be held at American Martyrs Retreat House. For more information and to register go to the following:https://www.dbqarch.org/offices/family-life/marriage-preparation-program/remarriage-program/

New Year’s Eve RetreatDecember 31 - January 1

Join us, December 31-January 1 at AMRH to celebrate NewYear’s Eve in a sacred way. People of all ages, single, dating and couples are invited.

Deacon Bill Biver is the retreat director. Deacon Bill is as-signed to St. Columbkille Parish and St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Dubuque. He was ordained to the Permanent Diaconate in 1986.

The fee for the retreat is $65.00 per person. As a “thank you” to the DREAMERS, they may deduct $5.00 if they worked on the DREAM weekend! Arrival is at 5:00 p.m. New Year’s Eve and departure at 11:00 a.m. on New Year’s Day.

To register or for questions, call 319-266-3543 or emaildbqamrhsec@dbqarch.org

From the Director

It is that time of year again for our Annual Christmas Appeal and I always feel at such a loss on how to “ask” people for money. I know that I will donate my time and money to something I believe in. I guess asking for money for AMRH should be easy because I believe that AMRH provides a hospitable environment and the spiritual means for people to encounter and deepen their relationship with God.

I am blessed to see this happen on a daily basis. 50 young adults arriving for a Kairos retreat (for high school juniors), getting off the bus looking bored, scared and wondering why they signed up to be here. Three days later when they leave they seem like they don’t want to leave, they are calm and at peace.

In the summer of 2015, we received a call asking what time adoration was. The caller was told 7 p.m. instead of 6:30 p.m. The caller said that they were with a Kairos, so we called all the Kairos leaders we knew but none of them were planning to attend adoration. At adoration that night, at 7 p.m. 3 young women showed up. After adoration I apolo-gized that we told them the wrong time. It wasn’t a prob-lem. They were all leaving for college in the next few days and this was the last time they would see each other until Christmas. They attended a Kairos at AMRH, had a great experience and wanted to visit AMRH before they went off to college. They wandered around the building and had me take their picture in the chapel before heading home. It was an hour drive, one way, to get to AMRH.

The first time someone comes to AMRH, they always com-ment on how quiet it is and for many people this is a little unnerving at first. In our society we are always being stimu-lated by our phones, computers, ipod, ipads, TV’s, we are always connected to something and seldom “unplugged.” At a recent retreat a first time retreatant asked “what am I supposed to do till the next conference?” She was told, “Read a book.” “Go for a walk.” “Pray the rosary.” “ Take a nap.” “Sit in the chapel.” She finally realized the retreat was a time for her to recharge and reconnect with God. She left on Sunday relaxed and refreshed.

A gentleman called and wanted a self-directed overnight retreat that evening. I met him when he arrived and walked him to his room. I told him that the quiet at AMRH could be “deafening.” He said, “I know, I’ve been here before and that

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Knights of Columbus RetreatNovember 4-6

“Report For Duty”As men we must learn to appreciate our privilege and our responsibility to help others to be holy. (Bring your Bible and your Rosary. If you don’t have one or the other of these, we’ll find you one to use.)

Retreat Director: Msgr. Lyle Wilgenbusch. Msgr. Wilgenbusch has been ordained a priest for 50 years, with 17 years of Catholic High School teaching background and 22 years in parish work, 18 as a pastor. He served 10 years as a Vicar in the Waterloo area and points north and west. He is currently the pastor at St. Athanasius in Jesup.

The retreat fee is $135 per person for the weekend. $25 deposit secures your reservation. The retreat starts at 8 pm Friday & ends Sunday after lunch.

To register or for questions, call 319-266-3543 or email dbqamrhsec@dbqarch.org.

Women’s RetreatFebruary 17-19

The retreat director has not been secured at the time of printing the newsletter. Information on this retreat will be advertised as soon as possible.

The retreat fee is $135 per person for the weekend. $25 deposit secures your reservation. The retreat starts at 8 pm Friday & ends Sunday after lunch.

To register or for questions, call 319-266-3543 or email dbqamrhsec@dbqarch.org.

Joyfully Gifted Workshop

is why I’m back. I can’t hear what God istelling me so I figured this would be the best place to be.” The next day when he left I asked him howit went. He said, “Great, I’m off to do what he told me to do.”

After a “Coming Home Veterans Retreat”, Sr. Linda McClenahan, a Viet Nam Vet who leads the retreat, relayed this story of one of the vets who attended a retreat. “He did not say much Friday night and into much of Saturday. Later Saturday, when asked to read something he had written, the tears started to flow. He finally felt safe to sob some of the hurt away. He was unable to read what he had written. On Sunday he was talkative and joking with every-one else.” Sr. Linda recently found out that he is back with his wife and although things aren’t perfect, they are getting better.

AMRH needs your support to continue providing a place for people to encounter and deepen their relationship with God.

God Bless,Deacon Al Weber

It is time again for our annual Christmas Appeal. We depend on you, our generous suporters, to help us carry out our mission of providing a hospitable environment and the spiritual means for people to encounter and deepen their relationship with God.

Your donation is key when unforseen repairs are neededand all those little things that happen start to add up. No matter how big or how small, all donations are helpful.

We are grateful to those who have been faithful stewardsand pray for your continued support. We also pray thatGod will send new stewards to help us in our mission.

Stewardship is the grateful response of a Christ-ian disciple, who recognizes and receives God’s gifts and shares them in love of God and neighbor.

Please consider an end of the yeardonation to AMRH. A donationenvelope is included in thisnewsletter. Thank you and God Bless

Christmas Appeal

Phone : 319.266.3543

I would like to contribute to the mission of American Martyrs Retreat House

Enclosed is my gift of ___$25 ___$50 ___$100 ___$500 ___Other

I prefer that my donation be used for:___ Whatever is needed.___ The Dream Project Fund.___ We are remembering the Retreat House in our estate plans.___ Other:____________________________________________

Within the guidelines established by the IRS, your gift is tax-deductible.Please make check payable to : American Martyrs Retreat House.

Name:__________________________________________________________________

Address:________________________________________________________________

City:_________________________________ State:__________ Zip:________

Phone:_______________________________________

Email:________________________________________

Benefactors are remembered in daily prayer at AMRH.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ &Please help us carry out

our mission, by donating.

Cut out the form on the right and send it with a check to: AMRH 2209 N. Union Rd. Cedar Falls, IA A 50613 Peaceful Place of Grace & Prayer

Holy Hour of Adoration - Tuesday 6:30 pm - 7:30 pmEvery Tuesday except the 3rd Tuesday of the month. Call 1st in case of a conflict with a retreat.

Catholic Evangilization Outreach-Cedar Rapids Xavier Kairos

Columbus Sophomore Renewal

Newly Ordained from 4 Iowa Dioceses

Columbus Freshmen Renewal

ACCW Past Presidents

Waterloo Area Youth Ministers-Serve & SlideNorth Central Christian Life Community-Jesuit

ACCW Board

Catholic Daughters-Cedar Falls

Sr. Marie Hesed-ACCW

DonorsAlt, Mike & CindyBlake, Rev. JerryBook, PatBoos, Tad & BeckyBreja, MaryCatholic Daughters of the Americas-State Court of IowaChurch, JohnDole, AudreyDunkin, EricFaga, LindaFroyen, Len & GailGallagher, Sr. MichelleGibbs, KathyGrundmeyer, JanHennessey, Barb & DaveHoag, Tom & GingerHolschlag, RoseHuber, Rev. HenryIn Memory of Corinne RauschIn Memory of Corinne RauschIn Memory of Geraldine DeilyJoensen, Al & MarilynKopacek, Rev. JerryKraus, George & NancyKruse, AngelaKuhn, Sr. Jeanine

Kyle Family TrustLeibold, Ron & NormaLudwig, Darrell & SallyLuebbers, JohnMcAlpin, Rev. JamesMcPhersen, PatriciaMensen, RonaldMohr, MarshaMurphy, Mary LouNelson, KathyNew Century TeleCommunica-tions - Jay ArmstrongPeters, RaymondScheiding, AnnSchneberger, Kenneth & EthelShekleton, Ed & SandySherwin-Williams - Ron McCartanSonne, KathySt. Francis Church, BarclayStavropoulos, LindaSwanson, FlorineWeber, Al & JillWeber, Richard & MarilynWeber, SharonWerner, LindaWilgenbusch, Msgr. Lyle

THANK YOU!The list of donors is from June 21, 2016 to

October 12, 2016.

To make a donation, please make checks payable to

“American Martyrs Retreat House” and mail to

2209 North Union Road, Cedar Falls, IA 50613

If we have inadvertently left your name off our list, we apologize. Please let us know and

we will include it in our next newsletter.

ScheduleNovember 20161 Westminster Presbyterian Church4-6 Knights of Columbus State of Iowa Retreat6 Centering Prayer6 Secular Franciscans7 Archdiocesan Catholic Foundation Board8 Election Day - AMRH is a polling place8-9 ACCW10 AMRH Advisory Board14 Priest Support Group14-15 Society of the Holy Trinity15 Leading Like Jesus16 Pastors & PLC’s of Multiple Parishes17-20 Columbus Kairos20 Centering Prayer21 Priest’s Support Group22 Nazareth Lutheran Church22 Leading Like Jesus24 Happy Thanksgiving25 AMRH Office Closed29 Leading Like Jesus

December 20161 Priest Support Group2 Waterloo Catholic Faith Formation Team 2-3 Centering Prayer Advent Retreat3 Leading Like Jesus4 Secular Franciscans4 Centering Prayer4-5 Archdiocesan Priest Council6 Archdiocesan Faith Formation Team9-10 St. Thomas Aquinas15 Knights of Columbus, Cedar Falls18 Centering Prayer23 AMRH Office Closed25 Merry Christmas!26 AMRH Office Closed28 Priest Support Group30 AMRH Office Closed31 New Year’s Eve Retreat

Gift ShopOpen

During Normal Business Hours8 am to 4 pm

Monday - Friday

January 20171 New Year’s Eve Retreat1 Secular Franciscans1 Centering Prayer2 AMRH Office Closed5-8 Xavier Kairos13-14 Presbytery of North Central Iowa14 Archdiocesan Stewardship Committee15 Centering Prayer16 Priest Support Group17 Evangilizing Through Small Groups18-19 Bishop Garrigan High School20-22 Regnum Christi26-29 Regina Kairos31 PAMAD

Remember American Martyrs Retreat House in your will.

Benefits:Estate tax deduction for the value of your

Bequest.

Don Bosco Sophomore Retreat

Self-directed Priest’s Retreat

Catholic Daughters/Women’s Retreat