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Lenten Retreat for Young Adults

  • Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center 303 Tunxis Road West Hartford, CT, 06107 United States (map)

Praying the Examen of St. Ignatius of Loyola: A Lenten Journey

Lenten Retreat for Young Adults

Sunday, March 9, 2025
3:00 to 8:15 P.M.
Brenda McLaughlin and Noel Terranova

The Examen is a prayer that—like the season of Lent—invites us to reflect on our lives and draw closer to God.  This prayer practice helps us to recall and explore personal experiences that lead us to gratitude and repentance, both of which are experiences of grace. The retreat program will include time for personal reflection, small group sharing, community building, a delicious dinner, and Sunday Mass with our regular 7:00 p.m. worshiping community.

Offering: $50, includes dinner ($75 more if you can, $25 less if you can’t)


Presenter Profiles

Brenda McLaughlin

Brenda McLaughlin holds an M.A. from Boston College Clough School of Theology and Ministry as well as Certificates in Spiritual Direction (Franciscan Spiritual Direction Certification Program); The Dynamics of the Spiritual Exercises: An Intensive for Spiritual Directors Accompanying Others in the 19th Annotation Retreat (Boston College); and Advanced Biblical Studies (The New England Catholic Biblical School). Brenda’s professional experience also includes teaching in public elementary schools and at the university level, as well as a stint in the corporate world. She has also completed graduate studies in curriculum and instruction (University of Connecticut) and English (University of New Hampshire). Since the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius guide Brenda’s prayer life, she seeks to find God in all things. Brenda grew up on a dairy farm in Western Massachusetts, which has served as good fodder for finding God in all the rest of her life.


Noel Terranova

Noel Terranova is a retreat team member at Holy Family.  He studied theology and liberal arts as an undergraduate at Villanova University and holds a Master of Theological Studies degree from Notre Dame. Before joining the retreat team in 2021, Noel served as the editor of the online publication FaithND and as a residence hall rector at the University of Notre Dame. He also worked as the university liturgist in the Office of Campus Ministry at Villanova.  He is currently completing a Ph.D. in theology, also from Notre Dame, with a concentration in Liturgical Studies. His research focuses on Catholic sacramental theology after Vatican II and contemporary continental philosophy.


Dietary restrictions? Holy Family is committed to making your stay as comfortable and enjoyable as possible, and to that end, we can accommodate most dietary needs. Please email Ted, our registrar, at tjastrzebski@holyfamilyretreat.org, if you have any dietary restrictions or food allergies, so that we may make preparations in advance of your retreat.

Earlier Event: March 7
Men's Retreat