Retreat at Carmel Niagara

Some of you know I've been away for a few days on retreat. For the first time in ten years, I was able to attend the Bishop's Spiritual Retreat for Clergy at Mount Carmel Spiritual Centre in Niagara Falls, Ontario. I'd never been there and I didn't know what to expect. I drove down with Pr. Mike Lees from Windsor, ON and met up with about forty + clergy from the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Anglican Diocese of Niagara.

I'd have to say it was a good retreat and a tough one. I had to face some of my nastiest demons, primarily jealously and lack of confidence. By God's grace through the words of the preaching pastors, priests, and bishops, I came to a realization of what I can be... not what I think I SHOULD be. I won't go into detail and I will say at one point near the end of the retreat, I received the "gift of tears." A tough and good thing.

Anyway... the Carmelite community there (O.Carm. friars) were generous hosts and the chapel was striking.

A view of the "high altar" and the rose window of the chapel.

A wider view showing the side altars and the choir stalls.
Very monastic, in my opinion.
I thought to myself "We never had anything like this when I was a Franciscan."
A retired Anglican bishop replied "That's as it should be!"

The sanctuary from the choir stall I camped out in.
For Roman Catholic Christians, the church's "sanctuary" is the area around the altar.
For "Protestant" Christians, the entire church is the sanctuary.
Choose for yourselves.

Choir stalls... roughly enough for 72 people.
The building was a seminary at one time for the local diocese as well as the Carmelites.

the side altar with the statue of  St. Thérèse of Lisieux.
Side altars used to be a fixture in Roman Catholic Churches, but
not so much any more. 

Some of the very impressive stained glass in the chapel.
The upper panels depict incidents from the life of Mary, the mother of Jesus.
The lower panels depict incidents found mostly in the Scriptures of the life of Elijah, the prophet.

Some of the Elijahan incidents.
Elijah and the spirituality of Elijah are very important to the Camelites.
Remember, Elijah hid on Mount Carmel when he was under persecution.
(I owe any knowledge of this to a dear, old friend who is a Carmelite sister.)
("Old" in the sense of known-for-a-long-time, not old as in aged.)

The rear of the church and the entrance with extra seating and a grand piano on the far right.

It was  good retreat and a challenging one. Will I go again? Next year is next year. The place should still be there, despite offers from developers. (The retreat house, friary, and vineyards sit right above the Canadian side of Niagara Falls and would be prime property for hotels and casinos.) In any event, the retreat house is already taking reservations for 2026! Yeah, the Carmelites will be giving witness to the Gospel right in the middle of some really fancy and expensive places.

God is good.