St Cassian's Centre
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St Cassian's Centre (often known simply as 'Kintbury' after the civil parish in which it is situated) is a Catholic Youth Retreat Centre near the village of Kintbury in the English county of Berkshire. It is owned and operated by the United Kingdom province of the De La Salle brothers.
The centre was set up by Damian Lundy in 1975 and is housed in a small country house known as 'The Wallingtons' at Inglewood in western Kintbury. It is set in picturesque grounds with landscaped gardens. This country setting offers a quiet atmosphere for those who attend retreat weekends there.
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[edit] Rooms
[edit] The Quiet Room
This is a room where people can go to be quiet. It offers a chance for calm in a hectic world. Situated in part of the attic space of the original house, it has space for all those in attendance at the centre. This space allows it to be used for daily reflections, most regularly in the morning after breakfast and in the evening after dinner.
The walls are lined with cushions for seating and the centrepiece of the room is a sprawling candle holder with many candles. These candles are lit whenever the room is used for reflections.
[edit] The Cedar Room
The Cedar Room is a downstairs room used for gatherings during the retreat weekends. The floor is covered with beanbags for seating which can be rearranged depending on what the room is being used for.
The room is so called because its windows face a large cedar tree in the middle of the lawns at the side of the house (see below). Despite this, it is almost universally known as the 'Bean Bag Room'.
[edit] Trees - Cedric and Marge
There are two prominent trees in the grounds of the centre. These are a large cedar tree known affectionately as Cedric and a coniferous tree named Marge after its resemblance to Marge Simpson's hair-do.
[edit] Personal Accounts
"Kintbury is a place like no other I've ever experienced. Time seems to have a different meaning there, with days seeming like weeks - it's just that peaceful! That's not to say it's boring - far from it. There are many different activities led by a willing and friendly team." - Unknown
"There isn't really a way to explain it, but there's something very spiritual about St. Cassian's Centre. It's a place where you can really feel connected to God, something that's hard to do normally in life. You never know quite what to expect when you first go, but I've never known anyone who has been entirely willing to leave on the Sunday at the end of the weekend." - Unknown
"It's fair to say that my time there changed my life." - Unknown
"Everyone goes to Kintbury for their own different reasons, be it spiritual - or just for some time off. But every single person returns to life satisfied, satisfied and with a new outlook on life." - Unknown
"You can only get out what you put in, you may not go there for spiritual reasons but you gain and make a of new friends from all backgrounds, it is a truly unique experience" - Lucas Higgins
"It was life changing" User:Nicola Butt
"'Kintbury' is an experience like no other! You cant actually explain it till you go there. its a place where you meet amazing people and it did truly change my life. " - Claire Fenlon
