A Tour of the Madonna House Training Centre
As we have seen on our tour, the basis for daily life at Madonna House is manual labour and Catherine Doherty's unique spirituality regarding it. However, Catherine herself was an intellectual, and she believed in the value of expanding the horizons of the mind through formal study. Therefore it is not surprising that the intellectual side of life at Madonna House could hardly be neglected.
A vibrant and stimulating variety of topics are covered through continual year-round seminars, lectures, and informal courses. Study topics have included Scripture, catechesis, the documents from the Second Vatican Council, Church history, the sacraments, and information on the Eastern rite. Besides spiritual areas of study, other study topics have included a wide range of subjects, stretching from geology to food preparation to nature studies. Catherine said:
In Madonna House we say, “Lord, give me the heart of a child, and the awesome courage to live it out as an adult.” Strange as it may seem, that courage is based on intellect. God doesn't want us to abdicate our intellects when we become adults. But we've got to have the courage to put it where he wants us to put it. Otherwise we fall by the wayside.
We need people who are intellectually mature, who partake of the intelligence of God, and who sift that intelligence through the heart of a child, which is the heart of Christ. Thus, they bring forth the fruit of the marriage of heart and intellect.
There is much more that could be said and shared with you, but at this point, we shall bring our tour of Madonna House to a close. We hope you have enjoyed your visit. Thank you for coming along with us.
One last comment: We believe Our Lady brings people to Madonna House and we pray for each person who comes to us. We consider you now as one of our “guests,” through your visit to this web site. Be assured of our love and prayers for you, and may Our Lady of Combermere cover you and your loved ones with her mantle and keep you safe.
If you would like to continue to journey with us, you might be interested in:
- Our programs for visiting guests,
- Subscribing to our “Pass It On” e-mail newsletter mailing list,
- Restoration articles, written by our Madonna House staff and friends,
- Madonna House Publications, which publishes books and other media by Catherine Doherty and the staff of the Madonna House Apostolate,
- If you're in our neighbourhood, you might like to visit our Madonna House Gift Shop, Flea Market, Gallery, Museum and Used Book Shop.
 Previous Page |
Tour Contents |
Related publications:
Madonna House: The People of the Towel & Water DVD Video
This professionally produced film serves as an wonderful introduction to Madonna House spirituality.
Madonna House Pamphlet (903 KB) — a printable pamphlet with information about the Madonna House Apostolate.
