St. Paul of the Cross Retreat Center

  Special Notices

Last Updated December 29, 2005


Special Notice: We now accept VISA and MASTERCARD!


 AWARDS FOR MILESTONE RETREATS AND HIGHEST NUMBER OF RETREATANTS

How many retreats have you made at St. Paul’s?   Five, ten, twenty-five, fifty or more?  Beginning with the 2005-2006  retreat season, different color ribbons denoting the number of years are being attached to nametags of retreatants who mark a milestone number retreat that weekend.  A gift will accompany the gold ribbon bearers, retreatants who have made fifty or more retreats at St. Paul’s.  If this is your year, be sure to get your colored ribbon when you arrive Friday night.

The parish or retreat group with the highest number of retreatants each weekend will receive a gift certificate for a free retreat in the 2006-2007  retreat season.  The pastor of the winning parish will receive a letter the following week, congratulating him and notifying him of the award.  At an appropriate time, the pastor will then consult with the parish promotion team about who in the parish will receive the gift certificate, trusting that the recipient will be a person in need of the assistance.

Which parish will be the winner on your weekend?  Which parish will have the most new retreatants on your weekend?


  FATHER-SON, MOTHER-DAUGHTER SPECIAL

The ever alert promotion committee of St. Paul’s has re-instated this special.  This is not a blue light or red light special – rather, a green light (Go-Ahead) special for families coming on retreat.  We welcome school-age daughters and sons (through college) who accompany their mothers or fathers on retreat ---- and we offer this to the younger family member at half price.  As for the age at which daughters and sons should come on retreat, we let up to parents the judgment about the match of their sons and daughters to the maturity level of the retreat with which they are familiar.  This could be a unique and precious opportunity for a deep parent-youth bonding.

GIFT CERTIFICATES FOR ST. PAUL'S RETREATS

Promoters have been asking about making Gift Certificates available for parishioners to obtain for one another in varying denominations.  John Colaizzi, Administrator, has responded to this question and has designed the following process:

  1. Promoters will order from the Retreat Office the gift certificates they want in advance of when the promoters will be issuing them. 
  2. The Retreat Office will have numbered these certificates and recorded them very exactly.  As promoters “sell” each certificate, they will sign, date, and record the amount on the back of each certificate. 
  3. IT IS NECESSARY for promoters to keep careful records of gift certificates issued, including name of certificate recipient, amount of the gift, the number of the certificate issued, and date of issue.
  4. Promoters will send the money to the Retreat Office each week of selling or bring it carefully marked when they come on retreat.
  5. Obviously, each unused certificate MUST BE RETURNED to the Retreat Office.  

If someone doesn’t use the gift certificate during the year it is issued for, it can be rolled over for the next retreat season.  HOWEVER, the expired certificate must be returned to John Colaizzi for a re-issuing for the next year. This is at the auditor’s request.  To obtain additional information please call the Retreat Center at (412) 381-7676 or e-mail us at stpaulrcpa@cpprov.org.

RETREATS FOR CONFIRMATION CANDIDATES

WE HAVE A TEAM!

Yes, we have a team, and we have great hope for assisting in the spiritual readiness of the diocese’s young teens preparing to receive Confirmation.  Father John Michael Lee C.P., Sister Christine Sinkovich C.F.F.S., and Sister Mary Clark S.C. form the Confirmation Team at St. Paul’s. Parishes have the option of choosing a candidates-only retreat or a candidate-sponsor retreat.  Call the Retreat Office (412-381-7676) for more information or for scheduling your parish.

   CAR POOLING REQUESTED

WE ASK THAT RETREATANTS PLEASE USE CAR POOLING IF POSSIBLE

With the larger numbers of retreatants on the weekend, there is frequently a parking problem with the lot across from the church.  People coming to our weekend masses end up parking on the streets which causes traffic congestion.  We suggest that car pooling be used by retreat groups whenever possible.  Thank you.

 SPECIAL NOTE TO PROMOTERS

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO GET YOUR RESERVATIONS TO OUR OFFICE AS SOON AS YOU RECEIVE THE RESERVATION

We want you to know how important it is to get your reservations to our office as soon as you know that someone is coming.  Please DO NOT HOLD YOUR RESERVATIONS while waiting for deposits.  The best thing to do is to call our office and ask for Mary or Shelly.  Give your reservations by phone, or send them in.  Thank you again for the time you give as a promoter. 

SPECIAL NEEDS

OUR OFFICE MUST BE ADVISED OF SPECIAL NEEDS WHEN YOUR RESERVATION IS SUBMITTED

If you have a personal health problem, need a special diet, or have need for a special room, we will strive to honor your request.  Please advise our retreat office when mailing in your deposit.

   NOTICE TO RETREATANTS

A RESERVATION FEE OD $20.00 IS REQUESTED FOR A WEEKEND RETREAT TO ASSURE YOU A ROOM

We have been requesting a $25.00 room deposit to ensure a single room for your weekend retreats, and more and more people are benefiting from this procedure.  However, on weekends when we have a full house, a problem sometimes occurs with retreatants who have sent deposits, but cancel without calling us.  So, if you musr cancel, please call us.  Therefore, reserved rooms with deposits will be held until 7:00 PM Friday evening unless you notify us that you will difinitely be here at a later time.

ST. PAUL'S SPEAKER'S BUREAU

St. Paul's has trained speakers from among the retreatants who will come to your parish and speak about the retreat at all masses, or at any parish group meeting.  If you would like to schedule a speaker, please call the Retreat Center at (412) 381-7676 or e-mail us at stpaulrcpa@cpprov.org to coordinate the arrangements.


FR. MICHAEL SALVAGNA, C.P. ON WEDO 810 AM

"Listen to His Love" is a weekday radio program that airs from 9:15 - 9:30 AM on WEDO, 810 on the AM dial

Fr. Mike Salvagna, C.P., began the program in 1985 at the invitation of John James, station manager, who wished to provide more Catholic programs on his station.  Each week has a theme (e. g. prayer, healing, church, ) which is developed scripturally and applied to daily living.  Fr. Mike addresses the wide audience of believers but invites non-believers to make a decision for Jesus in their lives.  We invite you to tune in and hear Fr. Mike's message daily.


Sunday and Daily Mass on TV & on the Internet

The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is available to the homebound
on National TV and on the Internet.

The Mass is on the Internet at  www.themass.org
The Televised Mass is on Odyssey
Sundays --- 12:00 P.M. (ET) and Monday - Friday --- 6:30 A.M. (ET)

For more information call: 1-800-THE-MASS
PASSIONIST MUSIC CASSETTES

The two recordings of sacred music produced by the Passionist Community of priests, brothers, sisters, and lay persons are available through the Retreat Center.  EVERY KNEE SHALL BEND contains a variety of Advent and Christmas music ranging from Gregorian chant and newly arranged traditional carols to contemporary works in styles taken from many traditions and cultures.  LOVE CASTS OUT FEAR is a collection of seventeen Lenten and Holy Week songs in the Passionist tradition.  BY THE BREATH OF GOD is a collection of music with texts that bring to life the images of the sacred gift of God's Spirit.  To obtain additional information please call the Retreat Center at (412) 381-7676 or email us at stpaulrcpa@cpprov.org.

PASSIONIST BENEFACTOR SOCIETY 

Membership in the Passionist Benefactor's Society enables a person to share in the masses, prayers and apostolic works of the Congregation of the Passion.  Enrollment in the Benefactor's Society is not limited to the deceased.  Special occasions can also be enriched by the gift of an enrollment: such as baptisms, weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, graduations, wishes of good health and other special occasions or intentions.  Many retreatants take part in out Benefactor Society by taking home the enrollment packets which they utilize as the need arises.  While this is still available, we wish to increase our service by allowing you to phone in your enrollments.  We will mail them to the designated address from our center and send you the bill.  Your membership and donation helps us to continue the ministry we have been entrusted with at St. Paul's.  To obtain additional information please call the Retreat Center at (412) 381-7676 between 9 A.M. and 3 P.M. Monday through Friday or e-mail us at stpaulrcpa@cpprov.org.

"A Prayer for You"

I said a prayer for you today
And know God must have heard.
I felt the answer in my heart
Although He spoke no word!
.
I didn't ask for wealth or fame,
I knew you wouldn't mind.
I asked Him to send treasures
Of a far more lasting kind.
.
I asked that He'd be near you
At the start of each new day,
To grant you health and blessings
And friends to share your way.
.
I asked for happiness for you
In all things great and small.
But it was for His loving care
I prayed for most of all.
.
---  Bill Kauffman

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