I traveled last week ten hours away from where I live , in the "hub" of traditional Catholicism, St. Mary's, KS, in order to attend a women's retreat in Boston, Kentucky given by Fathers Pfeiffer and Hewko. It was well worth the trip, to say the least. I was not disappointed. What I found there was much more than the traditional latin Mass. I found the Faith, in it's entirety, being preached by priests unwilling to compromise their faith but willing to sacrifice material comforts in order to continue in the work of sanctifying souls. I was edified by the modest , humble surroundings which actually proved to be less distracting. More importantly, I found there a deeper understanding of not only how much God loves, but how we must love God.
I've been slowly starving, living here in St. Mary's, attending the SSPX chapel. I was hungry (for the faith) and you fed me. Thank you, Fathers Pfeiffer and Hewko. Your retreat was a life-changer!
                 AMDG ,
                     Beth Cline
p.s. If the retreat was in any way telling of how the seminarians there are formed, then we should be blessed with excellent priests in the future. Maybe not in quantity , but certainly in quality. Deo Gratias!

I traveled last week ten hours away from where I live , in the "hub" of traditional Catholicism, St. Mary's, KS, in order to attend a women's retreat in Boston, Kentucky given by Fathers Pfeiffer and Hewko. It was well worth the trip, to say the least. I was not disappointed. What I found there was much more than the traditional latin Mass. I found the Faith, in it's entirety, being preached by priests unwilling to compromise their faith but willing to sacrifice material comforts in order to continue in the work of sanctifying souls. I was edified by the modest , humble surroundings which actually proved to be less distracting. More importantly, I found there a deeper understanding of not only how much God loves, but how we must love God.
I've been slowly starving, living here in St. Mary's, attending the SSPX chapel. I was hungry (for the faith) and you fed me. Thank you, Fathers Pfeiffer and Hewko. Your retreat was a life-changer!
                 AMDG ,
                     Beth Cline
p.s. If the retreat was in any way telling of how the seminarians there are formed, then we should be blessed with excellent priests in the future. Maybe not in quantity , but certainly in quality. Deo Gratias!

You are so fortunate to be within "striking" distance of KY.  Was it an Ignatian retreat?

I think Archbishop Lefebvre providentially discovered Ignatian Retreats himself. They have been an integral part of the SSPX apostolate ever since. There was a priest who made a "5 day" version from the original 30 day. I'm a bit hazy on the history and specific names and dates.

Ignatian retreats really are a tool used by God to transform souls for the better.

I think it was Fr. Vallet who condensed it into the "5 day" version.  And from what I understand, a lot of the martyrs of the Spanish cινιℓ ωαr had done the 5-day Ignatian Retreat.  Fr. Barrielle learned it from Fr. Vallet (or his group), and then taught those at Econe.  

At least, that's how I remember it.

ETA:

The Cooperators of Christ the King ... was founded by Fr. Francis de Paule Vallet in 1928 in Spain. A Jesuit, Fr. Vallet had a charism for preaching the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises, and the Company of Jesus had appointed him director of the Retreat Center of Manresa in Catalonia, Spain. (Manresa is the place where St. Ignatius received in 1522, by an inspiration of the Blessed Virgin, the plan of the retreat that was to raise a barrier against Luther’s private interpretation and Protestantism.)

From 1923 to 1927, Fr. Vallet with other Jesuits preached the Spiritual Exercises throughout Catalonia. He methodically organized the recruitment and perseverance of retreatants, and to this end founded the work of Parish Exercises. His work could be schematized by the words: men, the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises, the parish. In four years, in an atmosphere of sustained enthusiasm, more than 12,000 men were formed by the Ignatian Exercises. During the Spanish cινιℓ ωαr (1936-39), nearly 5,000 of these 12,000 men were martyred by the Reds.

ARCHBISHOP LEFEBVRE AND THE EXERCISES

Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre invited two preachers of the Cooperators of Christ the King to Dakar to preach the exercises while he was Archbishop there. Others copied his action in the Ivory Coast and Cameroon, with remarkable success. When he was Archbishop at Tulle upon his return to France, he recommended them to his faithful in his pastoral letters. As founder of the Society of Saint Pius X, he incorporated into the Statutes a paragraph on the continuation of the spiritual formation of seminarians and priests. He prescribed: “They will also love the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, highly recommended by the Popes, and which will be one day for them a powerful tool of their ministry.” Fr. Ludovico-Marie Barielle, a former member of the Parish Cooperators of Christ the King, joined Archbishop Lefebvre at Ecône and helped him in the task of training his seminarians and priests in the preaching of the Spiritual Exercises.

Quote from: Marlelar

You are so fortunate to be within "striking" distance of KY.  Was it an Ignatian retreat?

That is the only kind of retreats they have there.

True to their SSPX heritage, the SSPX-MC in Kentucky has a firm favorite for retreats: the Ignatian Retreat.

I think Archbishop Lefebvre providentially discovered Ignatian Retreats himself. They have been an integral part of the SSPX apostolate ever since. There was a priest who made a "5 day" version from the original 30 day. I'm a bit hazy on the history and specific names and dates.

Ignatian retreats really are a tool used by God to transform souls for the better.

Fr. Zendejas is still firmly convinced of their usefulness, which is why he's been trying to start a retreat center ever since he left the SSPX. Fr. Pfeiffer has been offering them at his family's Boston ranch since shortly after the Resistance began.

Ignatian retreats are eminently Catholic, what else can I say?

There is no better way to help the Faithful to be fervent, and no better source of vocations and holiness in general, than Ignatian retreats.

How can women go on a retreat? Their duties are at home. I can't imagine a woman in any state of life being able to go on a retreat. Even a woman with no children who is alienated from her family would most likely be employed.

ETA: I now see the OP is a woman. This wasn't meant to offend you. I was responding to Matthew's post "There is no better way to help the Faithful ...."

Where there's a will there's a way.  I've known women from all states of life who made multiple retreats.  Women with children can get a babysitter*; women with full-time jobs can take a week vacation for it.

*I know this is not always possible, depending on the circuмstances, but many families have made it happen.  

I agree. It's not so possible that you can blame those who can't swing it. It's not easy, and for some it just isn't possible. But many have made it happen over the years. They just need to arrange for babysitting. And speaking of being impossible for some, this is more likely if you have a lot of young children. As your kids get older, it's easier to find people willing to babysit for children who can basically watch themselves and/or help watch their younger siblings at the relative's house. All they are concerned about is how much work it's going to be for them.

That's why you want to go on a retreat before you get married. Highly recommended.

And I know that women are more likely to want to go, again and again. The Seminary in Winona used to restrict how often women could go, to make room for first-time retreatants. The women's retreats were always full. Of course, the Seminary could only host retreats part-time during the yearly summer vacation.

Yes, the Ignatian retreat I did upon entering the seminary in 1989 was absolutely life-changing.

Quote from: MaterDominici

Contrast Beth's experience with a report I heard from someone who recently attended an SSPX retreat in Ridgefield: He left more convinced than ever that he should relocate to somewhere with a regular Resistance Mass.

MaterDominici, I thought the SSPX only gave Ignatian retreats. How would you say the Ridgefield retreat was different from the Resistance one? I can imagine, I suppose, but I wonder if you, or someone else, would elaborate. Thanks.

I will let Mater answer regarding the specific example. But the SSPX does do other retreats besides Ignatian.  And even the Ignatian Retreat can be ruined, or its potential good effects lessened, depending on many factors.  Some Novus Ordos still preach the Ignatian Retreat, apparently, but I'm sure we can all imagine it is not going to be preached the same as a Traditional priest would.  Lots of factors will influence it, including how truly Catholic the preacher of the retreat is, his fervor and understanding of the Faith, the spiritual life, the crisis in the Church, etc, & what practical examples does he give to flesh out the bones of the retreat, etc.  

In related news, traditionally the retreats were always for men or women separately (except for the Matrimony retreat, where a married or engaged couple could attend together).  But I saw recently the SSPX is giving a mixed-gender retreat:

AMAZING: THE NEO-FSSPX ANNOUNCES MIXED RETREAT!

El P. Albert dará un retiro de Vida Espiritual mixto

Hombres y mujeres cristianos: si tiene sed de santidad, ¡este sería el retiro para usted!
La Casa de Retiros San Ignacio en Ridgefield, Connecticut, anuncia que su Retiro Vida Espiritual -originalmente planeado solo para hombres- ahora es un retiro mixto, y por lo tanto, ¡abierto también para mujeres!
El Retiro Vida Espiritual se llevará a cabo de Octubre 12 al 17, y será impartido por el sacerdote Dominico y experimentado maestro de retiros, P. Albert.
El retiro se llama “Vida Espiritual” porque su tema central es el nacimiento y crecimiento de la vida de la gracia divina en el alma.
En series de lecciones, el P. Albert predicará sobre los temas del Pecado Original, la Redención, la gracia, las Virtudes Teologales y los Dones del Espíritu Santo.
En otra serie de explicaciones, el Padre describirá en detalle el delicado mecanismo para el desarrollo de esta vida divina de acuerdo a la doctrina espiritual tradicional de las Tres Vías (purgativa, iluminativa y unitiva).
También se discutirán los diferentes medios para sostener e incrementar esta vida de gracia, como: confesión, asistencia a Misa, Santa Comunión, oración mental, el Oficio Divino y la devoción a Nuestra Señora.
(...)

¡Ah! Pero nada ha cambiado en la FSSPX...