New retreat aims to strengthen, enrich father and son bond

Published: 2004-08-09

OMAHA, Neb. (CNS) -- When the Archdiocese of Omaha's Family Life Office introduced the "Between Fathers and Sons" retreat this summer, one goal was to provide an opportunity to strengthen the bond between fathers and sons. "We organized this retreat to give fathers and sons a time and place apart from everything else in life to share faith, values and what's important in their lives," said Mary Jo Pedersen of the Family Life Office. "We wanted to help enrich the father-son bond." Well, it worked, two of the fathers and sons who attended the retreat told The Catholic Voice, the archdiocesan newspaper. "After my son and I talked about personal things in the retreat, it's been easier to talk about other things," said John Parr, an Omaha father who attended the retreat. "And now we're communicating better." He added, "In general, we've been closer after this retreat." Twelve fathers and sons in the archdiocese took the opportunity to strengthen their relationship at the 24-hour retreat in June at the St. Benedict Center near Schuyler.

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