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An Empty Road to Emmaus

A Day of Reflection for Adults

March 24, 2025
9:00 am to 3:00 pm

Program Cost: $75.00 (includes Lunch)

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Summary

The title "An Empty Road to Emmaus" evokes a sense of mystery, journey, and perhaps even a feeling of solitude or desolation.

The road to Emmaus holds significant symbolic and religious connotations, particularly in Christianity, as it's where two disciples encountered the resurrected Jesus in the Gospel of Luke. The encounter on the road to Emmaus is a story of revelation and transformation, where the disciples initially walk in confusion and disappointment but are ultimately enlightened and filled with hope upon recognizing Jesus.

However, the addition of "empty" to the title suggests a departure from the traditional narrative. It implies a sense of absence or loss, perhaps indicating that the road to Emmaus is devoid of its usual divine presence or that the journey is undertaken in a state of spiritual emptiness or uncertainty.

Reflecting on this title could lead to the exploration of themes such as spiritual searching, existential questioning, or the experience of feeling lost or abandoned. It prompts contemplation on the nature of faith, revelation, and the possibility of encountering meaning or transcendence in the midst of emptiness or desolation.

In essence, "An Empty Road to Emmaus" invites retreatants to embark on a journey of introspection and discovery, where the destination may be uncertain, but the potential for profound insight and transformation remains.

Description

A day or evening of reflection, grounded in the Jesuit tradition, is a shorter version of the Ignatian Weekend Retreat. Wherever you are on your spiritual journey, a day or evening program is sure to give you the peace and serenity needed to be still and to rest in God's loving embrace.

Your day or evening of reflection includes thematic talks from our skilled Retreat Leaders, time for private prayer, celebration of Mass and a meal.

Bellarmine has two libraries, a resource center, two chapels, and many other common areas.  Outdoor spaces include a various walking trails, various prayer gardens, a gazebo, stations of the cross, as well as a few patios and outdoor chairs and benches. 

Retreat Experience Gallery

Retreat Leader

Fr. Tho Vu, SJ

Rev. Tho Vu, SJ, is the youngest child born into a large family in Bien Hoa, Vietnam 1984. At the age of six, he and his family immigrated to Omaha, Nebraska. After graduating from a local high school, Fr. Vu enrolled at Omaha’s Creighton University, earning a BS in EMS, and was an active paramedic. Following graduation, he entered the Jesuit Novitiate in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in 2007. In 2009, Fr. Tho completed graduate studies in philosophy and theology at Saint Louis University and the Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, Missouri. For his Regency period of Jesuit formation, he taught Scripture and held various extracurricular positions at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School-Twin Cities in Minneapolis, MN. In 2014, Fr. Tho became a pastoral associate at Saint Thomas More Catholic Community in Saint Paul, where he helped parishioners in their sacramental preparations. In addition, he was a director of RCIA and helped create a young adult group at the parish. In 2015, Fr. Tho was assigned to Boston College, Boston, Massachusetts, at the School of Theology and Ministry to complete his theology requirements by earning M.Div. and Th.M. degrees. Following completion of those graduate degree programs, he was ordained to priestly ministry in June 2018. Since 2022, his current assignment has been as a Chaplain at Loyola University Chicago. His Jesuit formation has included extensive travel to several underdeveloped countries to help extend medical care. Since then, he has continued to travel abroad; this summer takes him to Bolivia for an immersion trip for Loyola University medical students. As well as his ministry at the campus chapel, he is a chaplain in a university-sponsored student resident hall and participates in various other student organizations. He serves on several committees, one of which is the Ramblers Brotherhood Project, a student success initiative at the university. Fr. Tho speaks several languages, including Vietnamese, French, and Spanish.

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