OMV's Easter Retreat 2016

The Downside Easter Retreat is held at Downside School (near Bath) from Thursday 24th March - Sunday 27th March.

It is the only OMV event of the year which is purely spiritual and social.

It provides a wonderful chance to relax, reflect and spend time with your OMV friends, in a beautiful part of Somerset . We have a change of sleeping quarters this year, we will be staying in Ullathorne (or Oliver House / Plunkett to some people) which is in the grounds of the school, and fill it with as many OMV members as possible; which this year is more (around 25-30 beds)

We are a little separate from the main Retreat, which is held within the school, but are free to attend as much or as little of the timetable as we wish. The main Retreat provide all the Easter services, held in Downside Abbey, culminating in a beautiful candle lit Vigil on the Saturday night. As well as the services, lectures are held daily on various religious themes.

One of the best things about the Easter Retreat is the freedom it provides; whilst offering a busy timetable it allows us to be as involved as we like. However we have a few OMV events which everyone gets involved in. One of these is the Cross Walk. It is an envigorating trek across the mendip hills and we pray the stations of the cross as we go.

It wouldn't be an OMV activity without an opportunity to spend lots of time socialising, so luckily there is a pub a stone's throw away and the resurrection party on Saturday night.

The Easter Retreat is a wonderful opportunity to get to know your OMV friends better. Held in a beautiful place, it is a wonderful place to prepare for Easter with your friends. It is also an extremely cheap activity: £35 should cover your accommodation and food.

And because I'm sure many of you will have family commitments, it all ends on sunday morning, so there is hopefully plenty of time for you to rejoin your families for Easter celebrations. (Although if you want to stay for sunday lunch at Downside this is also possible.)