This year the Province retreat was held at Ushaw College, Durham, from 29th May to 3rd June 2005. Fifty two Priests, Brothers and Novices from every Salesian community in the GBR Province took part in the retreat, led by Fr Michael Connell SDB, who had travelled from Cape Town to be with us.

For several of the Salesians, this was a return to the place where they had studied in preparation for the priesthood or taught on the staff of the seminary. For others it was a first opportunity to visit the land of St Cuthbert and St Bede.

During the afternoons there were guided tours of Durham Cathedral, including the celebration of evening prayer in the Galilee chapel on the Feast of the Visitation, the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, and the museum at Monkwearmouth.

For the more senior members of the province, unable to make the journey to the North East, retreats were arranged in St Joseph's, Bolton, and St John Bosco's, Farnborough, led by Fr Brian Jerstice SDB, who is currently 'on loan' to the AFE province, teaching at the Salesian House of Studies in Moshi, Tanzania.