The annual Multi-Parish Retreat is an exciting collaboration happening on the South Coast. Church of our Saviour in Somerset, Christ Church in Swansea, Church of the Holy Spirit in Fall River, St. Luke’s also in Fall River, and St. Peter's in Dartmouth gather for a September weekend retreat at the Prindle Pond Conference Center in Charlton, MA. The retreat is loosely structured around a monastic day. We gather for dinner on Friday and close with Eucharist on Sunday.
The retreat was originally formed and designed for a single parish, the Church of Our Saviour. In 2017, our tenth anniversary, we heard God calling us to invite our neighbors at Church of the Holy Spirit in Fall River. That was the beginning of expanding the circle of our neighbors and friends. Since then, we have been adding new SouthCoast parishes to the retreat as each is willing and able. Christ Church, Swansea, joined in 2018, St. Luke’s, Fall River, in 2019, and St. Peter's in Dartmouth in 2025!.
We offer a weekend of formation, spiritual renewal, relaxation, fellowship, and worship, with programs for adults, Jr/Sr High youth, and for younger children as well. We also incorporate multi-generational programs.
Four scheduled formation sessions are led by our facilitator. Interspersed between these scheduled sessions, participants can practice what they are learning and get to know each other. The retreat allows space for community building, conversation, stories, and getting acquainted.
Participants also have free time for various pre-planned activities or to take much-needed time for stillness, prayer, and reflection. Free time activities in past years included a drum circle, nature mandalas, hiking, spiritual practices, pumpkin carving, and board games. Attendance at the retreat has remained relatively steady, ranging from 50 – 65 participants.
For more information, contact Jennifer Paiva and see our Facebook Event!
You can also download the registration form (to the left) and mail it (with a deposit) to Church of Our Saviour, 2112 County Street, Somerset, MA 02726, ATTN: Retreat. The check can be made out to Church of Our Saviour. Please write "Retreat" in the memo.