Theme : Telling the Truth, 7th - 9th December 2018

This weekend brings together a group of people interested in healthcare, whether from a professional, pastoral or personal perspective.

This year’s theme was ‘Telling the truth’. Sr Margaret A. gave a talk on the question, ‘Why tell the truth?’, developing ideas from her work on St Augustine on lying.

Dr Jude Raper, a Consultant Doctor in Palliative Medicine spoke about telling the truth in the medical context, reflecting especially on her role in caring for adults who have terminal illnesses. She covered telling the truth to patients, to families, to colleagues and to the wider public, giving wise practical advice on how to communicate difficult matters clearly and effectively. In a final group discussion various participants raised questions about truth-telling and confidentiality and Jude shared a case study with us.

The programme provided the opportunity to share Mass and the Prayer of the Church with the Boarbank Sisters, to walk in the local area and to share conversation and social time as well as personal quiet. On the Saturday evening we watched together the film The Best of Friends, about the friendship between Dame Laurentia McLachlan of Stanbrook Abbey, Sir Sydney Cockerell, a museum curator, and George Bernard Shaw (playwright and critic).

As always, many of the most important moments of the weekend came during the free time.

We plan to repeat the retreat with the theme of 'Children & Health' in early December next year.

To book or for further information, please contact SR MARGARET