Separated by 20 miles and on opposite sides of Dulles International Airport, two Diocese of Virginia churches unknowingly scheduled their parish retreats on Memorial Day weekend at Shrine Mont. Instead of parallel gatherings, Epiphany Episcopal Church in Oak Hill (Herndon) and St. Gabriel’s ~ San Gabriel Episcopal Church, Leesburg came together for a retreat that was greater than the sum of its parts.
When Fr. Daniel Vélez-Rivera (vicar of St. Gabriel’s ~ San Gabriel Episcopal Church, Leesburg) and The Rev. Dina Widlake (rector of Epiphany Episcopal Church in Oak Hill (Herndon)) learned that their parishes would be at Shrine Mont the same weekend, they began to pray, reflect, and envision how their communities might embody and embrace being One Beloved Community.
Vélez-Rivera and Widlake said they agreed that their cultures and traditions may differ, but their love for Christ is the same—and both wanted love clearly presented in their shared fellowship, programs, and worship.
As they envisioned the weekend, the priests “allowed room for the Holy Spirit to move freely. We chose not to over-plan or try to answer every question in advance, but instead discerned together how Christ’s love and joy might be shared as one body of Christ,” Widlake recalled.
They agreed on a joint theme (“Finding Hope in Uncertain Times”) that honored the spiritual needs of their parishioners collectively and individually. At Shrine Mont, they would pray and worship together in bilingual liturgies.
Between Languages, A Shared Rhythm
Epiphany organized a childcare program during the adult reflection time, and the children of St. Gabriel’s ~ San Gabriel eagerly joined in. “It was a joy to witness children and youth leaders creating a safe, joyful space together—building the kingdom of God side by side at Shrine Mont,” Widlake said.
While this was Epiphany’s first parish weekend in over 15 years, St. Gabriel’s ~ San Gabriel has held its annual retreat “on the mountain” for at least the past eleven years. St. Gabriel’s ~ San Gabriel has a long-established rhythm of worship including bilingual morning prayer by the lake and a Saturday afternoon Eucharist at the Cathedral Shrine of the Transfiguration. Epiphany followed this lead.
The sermon, delivered by Widlake with responses and translation by Vélez-Rivera, took a conversational form—each offering Spirit-led reflections on the day’s scripture and the retreat theme. Vélez-Rivera moved easily between English and Spanish, interpreting both Widlake’s message and his own insights.
“What a sight and a grace-filled experience it was—God’s people from Epiphany and St. Gabriel’s ~ San Gabriel playing, praying, resting, singing, reflecting, sitting side by side, passing the peace, and sharing the body and blood of Christ,” Widlake said.
Deepening the Sacred Shrine Mont Experience
The “intentional and unexpectedly beautiful intersection of two congregations” created a deeper experience of Shrine Mont’s sacred offerings, Widlake added.
Shrine Mont’s website promises a place where people are more important than things, where prayer and reflection, rest and recreation are more important than appointments and tasks. The experience of Shrine Mont “is even more distinct alongside another faith community,” she said.
“From this year’s memorable Memorial Day weekend, we can affirm that Shrine Mont is more than a place of rest. It is a place where the love and unity of God, made manifest in the beautiful diversity of God’s people, can move from our heads to our hearts and beyond.”
