The Dignity/Washington Board along with several community members participated in a weekend retreat and planning session held February 15 to 17 at the Bon Secours Retreat and Conference Center in Marriottsville, Maryland. 
Formerly of the Center and currently the Pastoral Associate to the Vicar Bishop of the Archdiocese of Baltimore in the Seton Vicariate, Dr. Tom Little led the group in a series of reflections entitled Sustaining Our Leading With Holiness and Heart, focused on the challenge of several Catholic saints, including Francis of Assisi, Catherine of Siena, Teresa of Avila and Dorothy Day, whose Church renewal efforts in their day continue to be instructive for the mission of Dignity today. Each session sought to elicit from each member and the group as a whole practical strategies for renewed commitment and engagement to serve the Dignity/Washington community and reach out to the wider lgbt community. Several members of the Young Adult group presented their vision for improving the community’s media outreach, especially through new forms of Facebook advertising and upgrades of our website, and planning community events for the coming year. Sunday morning’s session, The Gathering of Graces, sought to capture the new insights gained through this time together, most prominently how much vitality and energy there exist in our community for the work that lies ahead.
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- Stained Glass Window of the Founding of the Order of the Sisters of Bon Secours, Paris, 1824
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- Winter Serenity and Beauty of the Bon Secours Retreat and Conference Center, Marriottsville, Maryland
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- Closing Mass of the Dignity Board Retreat, Father Ron Moses Camarda, author of Tear in the Desert, presider and homilist
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- Down Time (L to R: Ray Panas, Mike Marinelli, David Vespa, Allen Rose, Larry Ranly and Henry Huot)
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- Dan Barutta, Dignity/Washington president, addressing the retreatants during the February 15-17, 2013 Dignity/Washington Board Retreat. Dr. Tom Little, retreat/conference leader looks on.
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- Jonathan Noriega Making A Point During A Retreat Session (L to R: Larry Ranly, Mark Clark, Jonathan, Kenneth Dowling, Ray Panas and Maurice LaPierre)
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- Peace Garden at the Bon Secours Retreat and Conference Center
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- Praying and Reflecting Through Scripture and Icons of the Saints
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- Retreat Theme and Facilitator
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- A Planning Session During the Dignity/Washington Retreat; from L to R: Kenneth Dowling, Ray Panas, Maurice LaPierre, Bob Waterman, Mark Hibschman, Allen Rose, David Barutta and Dr. Tom Little.
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- A Planning session During the Dignity/Washington Retreat (L to R: Alexander Martone, Tom Bower, Dave Vespa, Tom Yates, Bob Miailovich, Mike Marinelli, Larry Ranly, Mark Clark and Jonathan Noriega0
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- L to R: Bob Waterman, Dan Barutta, Allen Rose and Tom Yates
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- A Little Time for “Hearts” During the Work of the Retreat (L to R: Maurice LaPierre, Dan Barutta, Bob Waterman and Bob Miailovich; and, in the background, David Vespa)
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- Across the Road from the Bon Secours Center, Marriottsville, Maryland
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- Dignity/Washington Board Retreat, February 15-17, 2013, Bon Secours Retreat and Conference Center, Marriottsville, Maryland (L to R: Henry Huot, Tom Little, Maurice LaPierre, Mike Marinelli, Tom Yates, Kenneth Dowling, Tom Bower, Alexander Martone, Ray Panas, Allen Rose, Jonathan Noriega, Mark Clark, Larry Ranly, David Vespa, Bob Miailovich, Mark Hibschman, Bob Waterman, and Dan Barutta)
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