On her first retreat as a Catholic, Yolande Clarke reflects on her chosen path amid the blossoming flora and fauna of Brentwood Diocese’s House of Prayer After a year working through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, with Easter and the prospect of being received into the Catholic Church only months away, I felt it would be right to go on retreat beforehand, and take the opportunity for reflection and prayer ahead of this occasion. It would also be a chance to prepare for my first confession. So I approached Abbotswick, the House of Prayer for Brentwood Diocese. However, God appeared to have other ideas. The week before I was due to begin the retreat, down I went with a nasty cough and a virus that drained me of strength. I recovered in time to be received at Easter, but