An illuminating history of state-building, nationalism, and bureaucracy, this book tells the story of how an international cohort of Austrian officials from Bohemia, Hungary, the Hapsburg Netherlands, Italy, and several German states administered Galicia from its annexation from Poland-Lithuania in 1772 until the beginning of Polish autonomy in 1867. Historian Iryna Vushko examines the interactions between these German-speaking bureaucrats and the local Galician population of Poles, Ukrainians, and Jews. She reveals how Enlightenment-inspired theories of modernity and supranational uniformity essentially backfired, ultimately bringing about results that starkly contradicted the original intentions and ideals of the imperial governors.

An Indispensable Resource for Pastoral Agents Responding to the need for resources to set up, sponsor, and lead retreats, Planning and Implementing Retreats: A Parish Handbook provides an array of simple yet creative tools to achieve a successful outcome. This book is a practical, time-saving guide for those who are involved in designing experiences to enhance people's spiritual lives--in parishes especially, but also in hospitals, campus ministries or other locales where Christian adults gather for spiritual formation. At the heart of this resource are five planning and design strategies for professionals and volunteers who want to create a well-organized and spiritually sensitive retreat experience. Other chapters deal with the theological and scriptural bases for retreat design, as well as special areas of concern, worship and liturgy, and participation evaluation. The strategies and tips outlined in this book can help planners--novice or experienced--nourish their own spiritual life as they prepare for the task of journeying with those in search of the living God. This is truly a fundamental and much-needed resource.

A spiritual and psychological method of decision-making and discernment about life-styles based upon the centuries-old Christian Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola; updated and made more relevant for married couples and companions.

Have you been to the mountaintop with God? Think of how exciting it must have been to be selected by Jesus, the Son of God, to be one of His twelve disciples who then walked with Him, talked with Him, and were invited to go up the mountain with Him. What a story they had to tell. Their lives were never the same, as they touched a piece of heaven there on the mountain. They wanted to stay forever, wouldn't you? There are times in our life where we too are asked by Jesus to go to the mountaintop on retreat where we can quiet our soul to hear Him more clearly. This book, 4 for the Mountaintop tells the story of Ellen Mongan's journey to the heart of God. Eventually, she was joined in her journey by three other women--Anne Shea, Debbie Cosper, and Pat Maranda--the "4 for the Mountaintop" sisters who were walking on a similar path. That is how "4 for the Mountaintop" retreats were birthed. Their journey together spans over thirty years. They were glad they accepted Jesus's invitation. Their lives were never the same, and they did not want to come down from the mountain, would you? Jesus invites all to get away with Him and go to the mountaintop. Will you accept the invitation? Ellen Mongan recommends that you invite your three best friends to take the journey with you. This book will tell you how. Linger no longer--you are invited! What a story you will have to tell! You, too, will never be the same. You too might want to stay forever. This book will appeal to women of all ages and stages of life, from teens to grandmas. It will appeal to the mature in the Lord and the babes in Christ. It will help you in seeking a closer walk with Jesus. As you read each page, you will grow in your faith and get to know Christ for yourself, not just know about Him. You may even begin your own "4 for the Mountaintop" retreat. You will be blessed. My prayer is that the heart of each of you will cry out, "All I want is to know Jesus Christ and the power of His rising."

"The great lights who have come out of all the world’s spiritual traditions and graduated from earth’s schoolroom have become widely known as masters. They demonstrate that in the world of Spirit, there is no division of race, religion or philosophy—there is simply oneness, ineffable sweetness and love. What is not so widely known is that these great masters have retreats—temples and cities of light in the heaven world—where we can go in spiritual meditation and while our bodies sleep at night. In this comprehensive work, Mark and Elizabeth Prophet talk about these great masters, the stories of their lives and their magnificent spiritual retreats."

This comprehensive resource guides leaders through all the stages of planning camps and retreats - theme development, scheduling, gathering materials, setup and so on - and even offers sample lessons and activities. Twelve complete outlines are included (plus a bonus staff retreat outline!) and all student handouts are available for download. Everything youth leaders need to invite their group to meet with God... all in one book!

Scripture-Based Retreats for Teens Ages 10-19 presents young people with the opportunity to grow in their faith, in their relationships with others, and in their understanding of and appreciation for God's holy word. Scripture-Based Retreats is a collection of six retreats for middle school and high school young people, written by six different authors from the field, including Lisa-Marie Calderone-Stewart, Marni Geissler, Ron Jacobson, Christina Semmel, Victoria Shepp, Ralph Stewart, and Erica Weber. The retreat themes are as follows: The Lectionary and the Liturgical Year: How Catholics Read Scripture Angels Among Us! Scripture Storytelling What's This Book All About? Exploring the Bible What Does That Mean? A Look into the Parables of Jesus The Book of Jonah