What were the highlights of this year’s Thinking Faith?

Thinking - we took the encyclical Faith and Reason as our key text

and this led us also to thinking about truth and lying.

The film A Passage to India, presented by Martina, was a thought-provoking starting-point. Julian gave us an insider’s account of the pressures on journalists to twist the truth. Fr Dixie presented the background to the encyclical, with a sweep of Biblical history thrown in. Sr Margaret asked why be truthful anyway?

Two sessions of group discussion gave us the chance to chew over ideas in detail, and discussions continued informally throughout the week.

Prayer

As usual we shared Morning Prayer and Mass together and joined the Community for Evening and Night prayer. Boarbank also offers plenty of space for quiet personal prayer, in our chapel, gardens or oratory. A big thank you to Fr Robert for his sermons!

Social

This went from the energetic - climbing the local peaks of Howbarrow and Latterbarrow above Windermere, getting soaked on Humphrey Head (sorry, Floss!) - to the relaxed - boating on Windermere, croquet at Wray Castle or socialising in the evenings - to the indulgent - a meal out at a local restaurant - to the informal, with lots of free time in the afternoons.

Community

The greatest pleasure of the weeks is always the friendships that develop, based on shared faith and values, fostered by shared meals and conversation, rooted in shared prayer alongside the Augustinian Sisters, and open to those guests with whom we also share the Guest House.