Sr. M Bernadette Kapfer, program director for the Maryville Retreat Center in Holly, MI, was recently featured on the Franciscan Dave podcast, along with Br. Al Mascia, OFM, a professional musician, singer/songwriter, and Franciscan friar.
The mission of the Franciscan Dave podcast is to give practical insights into living a life of holiness and continuing the call of our Lord to St. Francis of Assisi to rebuild the Church with living stones.
Sr. Bernadette discussed the reasons people choose to go on a retreat. “They’re searching for a deeper happiness amidst their everyday struggles or just want answers to their questions about God,” she said. Visitors to the Maryville Retreat Center always express a sense of peace and discovery of a deeper relationship with God. Br. Al talked about his journey to become a Franciscan friar through the spirit of joy and happiness exuded by one of his early teachers. He recounted the founding of the Canticle Café, a Franciscan outreach to the homeless providing fresh food and computer access in order to create resumes and apply for jobs. Br. Al also described the joy music brings to the human heart, and how we too can find joy in the midst of all the world’s ills.
“People are looking for a place to get away for some alone time with God, or for some peace and quiet in their lives especially with everything that’s happening in the world today,”
Sr. Bernadette
Not long after the podcast, Sr. Bernadette and the Maryville Retreat Center hosted the premier of Br. Al’s new one-man musical production, More Love than Skill: A Saint and His Fiddle, focused on the life and lessons to be learned from Blessed Solanus Casey.
