Welcome Weekend Experience

All adults are invited to a Welcome Weekend Experience at St. Boniface this fall! The weekend is Saturday 8am - 12 Midnight and Sunday 7am - 3pm. You are highly encouraged to sleep overnight here at the parish. Cots are provided, just bring a sleeping bag, pillow and overnight toiletries. Those with health, family, or other situations are able to go home overnight and return early Sunday morning.

Registration

Registration for the Women's Welcome Experience, Sat, Oct 1 - Sun, Oct 2, is CLOSED. If you'd like to be placed on a waiting list for the next womens's weekend, please contact Welcome Continuation Committee Chair, Lori Hurkin at .lori.hurkin@gmail.com or (515) 494-4016.

Click here to register for the Men's Welcome Experience, Sat, Oct 15 - Sun, Oct 16. Questions? Contact Mike Lause at 515-371-4203.

What is Welcome?

Welcome is an experience that helps you discover what's missing in your life —and what to do about it! Welcome weekends are run by parishioners for parishioners, and are re-energizing parishes across the country. To find out more, visit the Welcome website at this link. 

Why should I attend?

To be inspired. Who am I? What am I here for? What matters most? What matters least? Welcome puts a framework around these questions. You'll get personal clarity and be inspired to start living with a deeper sense of purpose.

To build community. We all have a deep desire to feel like we belong—to feel welcome in our parish. The Welcome weekend experience is an opportunity to build meaningful and lasting relationships with others. 

To help build a dynamic, life giving parish. It's impossible to separate personal transformation from the transformation of a parish. When your life is changed through Welcome, our parish will also be transformed!

Welcome Weekend Experience Support

Men's Weekend Support Oct 15-16

Prayer Support. Click here to sign up for one hour of prayerful support during the Men's Welcome Weekend Oct 15-16.

Kitchen Support. Coming soon! Click here to sign up for kitchen support during the during the Men's Welcome Weekend Oct 15-16.

Questions?

For more information, contact Lori Hurkin, Continuation Committee Chair, at lori.hurkin@gmail.com or (515) 494-4016 or Faye Akers in the Faith Formation Office at (515) 987-4597 or fayeakers@stbonifacechurch.org

Welcome!

Welcome to our adult faith page for retreat and discernment offerings! 

Scroll down the page for information about:

• Called & Gifted Discernment Process
• Retreat Centers & Opportunities
• Spiritual Directors in the Diocese of Des Moines

For more information on these and other opportunities here at St. Boniface and in the Des Moines area, contact Faye Akers in the Faith Formation Office at (515) 987-4597 or fayeakers@stbonifacechurch.org

 

Called & Gifted Discernment Process

How is God calling you? Charisms, or spiritual gifts, are special abilities given to all Christians by the Holy Spirit to give them power both to represent Christ and to be a channel of God’s goodness for others. All charisms are to be exercised in the service of God (CCC, no. 2003). Called & Gifted is an introduction to charisms (also known as spiritual gifts) and the process of discernment, with information that will help you explore and begin the process of discovering God’s call in your life.

See below for more details, or contact Faye Akers in the Faith Formation Office at (515) 987-4597 or fayeakers@stbonifacechurch.org

Process

Called & Gifted is a three-part process developed by the Catherine of Siena Institute that includes 1) an introductory workshop, 2) a 60-minute spiritual gifts interview, and 3) discernment in depth. All three parts of the process are necessary for discovering where you are gifted.

Workshop

In addition to gathered workshops offered at parishes in the Des Moines area (dates and locations are promoted when workshops are offered), the Catherine of Siena Institute also offers a self-study version of their workshop online. Click here for more information on the self-study.

Spiritual Gifts Interview

After completing the introductory Called & Gifted workshop and taking the Catholic Spiritual Gifts Inventory, the second step is a one-hour personal gifts interview. Local interviewers trained by the Catherine of Siena Institute will meet with you at a mutually agreed upon date and time, either virtually or socially-distanced in person. Faye Akers in the Faith Formation Office is a trained gifts interviewer and can also direct you to other trained interviewers.

Discernment in Depth

After completing the introductory workshop and your gifts interview, you are ready to begin discernment. You can complete discernment on your own, with a spiritual director, or over four sessions in a small group using the Complete Resource guide provided as part of the introductory workshop. For more information about discernment in depth, contact the Faith Formation Office at 515-440-1030.
 

Retreat Centers & Opportunities

Emmaus House

Emmaus House is an oasis of quiet in the midst of the busyness of life. Located in Urbandale, IA, Emmaus offers to people of all faiths wonderful spiritual resources, including spiritual direction, retreats, days of recollection, and presentations. For more information visit https://www.theemmaushouse.org/ 

Creighton University Retreat Center

The Creighton University Retreat Center fosters an active prayer life, allowing for deeper conversion and relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. Consistent with our Jesuit tradition and Ignatian heritage, we offer individual and group retreats. The Creighton Retreat Center is located just outside Griswold, Iowa. For more information, visit the website at https://www.creighton.edu/ministry/retreatcenter/

St. Thomas More Center

The Saint Thomas More Center serves the Diocese of Des Moines by offering retreats and a host facility for youth and young adults. It is primarily known as the home of the Catholic Youth Camp. The Saint Thomas More Center is located on Lake Panorama in Iowa. For more information, visit the website at https://www.theemmaushouse.org/
 

Spiritual Directors in the Diocese of Des Moines

Spiritual direction is “help given by one Christian to another which enables that person to pay attention to God’s personal communication to him or her, to respond to this personally communicating God, to grow in intimacy with this God, and to live out the consequences of the relationship.” (William A. Barry and William J. Connolly, The Practice of Spiritual Direction)

Click here for a list of spiritual directors in the Diocese of Des Moines.