Retreat Held on Canada's Prince Edward Island
Devotees of Blessed Karl met for a 3-day retreat in his honor on Canada's maritime province of Prince Edward Island from August 24-27, 2017. Set in the bucolic countryside of this vacation paradise, the location by the water provided ample space and opportunity for prayer, reflection, and relaxation amid beautiful scenery and weather. Mass was celebrated each day by Fr. Lawrence Carney of St. Joseph, Missouri, who in his sermon connected the feast of each day in some way to Blessed Karl. The event opened with an Austrian-style "birthday dinner" for Emperor Karl, whose 130th anniversary of birth actually occurred a week earlier on August 17.
At seven different times during the retreat, short meditations were introduced, each focusing on some aspect of Blessed Karl's life and virtues, to give the participants material for reflection. On the first full day of activities, retreatants got to know one another while touring the Province's capital city of Charlottetown and its magnificent St. Dunstan's Cathedral. The second day was devoted to instructive seminars about Blessed Karl and the chance to leisurely examine hundreds of rare photographs of the Emperor and his family. Participants enjoyed sharing their own stories about coming to know Blessed Karl and his beloved wife, Servant of God Zita, and how the holy couple has influenced their lives.