Sri Lanka’s first national retreat for Catholic families

(October 29, 2010) A three-day "national retreat for families" to build peace and reconciliation began on Friday in Sri Lanka in which both Tamil and Sinhalese Catholic families from all over the nation are participating. The first ever national retreat organized by the Apostolate for families at the shrine of St. Anne's Thalawila, Puttlam district, north-west Sri Lanka has as its theme, “Lets come to gather as families to build family of the Sri Lankan Nation.” It brings together families that have gone through the travails of Sri Lanka’s nearly 30-year civil war that ended in May 2009. "Developing reconciliation and peace, and involving more people in a life of prayer to build a good family is the main purpose of this national gathering," said Father Patrick Julian Perera, the national director of the Apostolate for families. Ahead of the retreat, organizers said they were expecting some 200 thousand people, including children, to take part. Fr. Perera said they thought that a "family retreat" would be the most effective way to give Catholics in the north and south an opportunity to meet, and begin a dialogue, exchanging views and ideas. He said their plan is to create a bridge between North and South by slowly building up small communities including at least 10 – 20 families in each diocese.