Craig Lodge Community facts for kids
The Craig Lodge Community is a special group of people who are part of the Roman Catholic Church. They live in Dalmally, a beautiful area in the west Highlands of Scotland. It's a place where people can come to pray, learn, and grow in their faith.
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How Craig Lodge Started
Craig Lodge was once a hunting lodge. Calum and Mary-Anne MacFarlane-Barrow ran it as a guest house. In 1984, their lives changed after a trip to Medjugorje. This is a small village in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Their daughter Ruth heard reports that the Virgin Mary was appearing to six teenagers there. Ruth and her brothers were very curious. They wanted to visit Medjugorje to learn more.
Their first visit was a big experience for them. At that time, Bosnia-Herzegovina was part of Communist Yugoslavia. Practicing the Catholic faith could be difficult. The family saw the strong faith of the local people. They also heard stories about the amazing events.
The Virgin Mary, known as the Queen of Peace, was said to be giving messages. These messages were a call to pray, fast, and live by the teachings of the Bible. This was similar to messages reported in places like Lourdes and Fatima.
After their trip, Calum and Mary-Anne decided to change their guest house. They turned it into a House of Prayer. People now come to Craig Lodge for special retreats. They also come to enjoy the peaceful surroundings. Many join in the Community's daily prayer times.
In 1990, Calum and Mary Anne invited young people to form a youth community. It was called the Krizevac Community. They committed to one year to deepen their faith. This program ran for many years.
In September 2021, a new program started. It is called the Mission House. This is a 9-month program. It focuses on prayer and helping others.
The Community Today
The Community soon began to help other young people. They held youth weekend retreats at Craig Lodge. They also visited churches and started prayer groups.
In 2000, the Community decided to include permanent members. These could be families, single people, or religious people. They renew their commitment each year. This is how the Craig Lodge Community works today.
Some members live in Craig Lodge itself. They commit to one year. Other permanent members live in their own homes nearby. Their daily commitment is different. It fits around their family and work.
Why the Community Exists
The main goal of the Community is to help its members grow in their faith. They do this by living out the messages from Medjugorje. Living in a community helps people on their faith journey. They support each other and open their hearts to Jesus and others. The idea is that people help each other become better.
Daily Life at Craig Lodge
Prayer is a very important part of daily life. The Community prays together often. They pray the Divine Office and the Rosary. They also have Praise and Worship. They read the Bible in a special way called Lectio Divina. They pray for others, especially for priests.
The Holy Mass (a church service) is the heart of their daily life. They also spend time in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. This is a quiet time of prayer before Jesus in the Eucharist.
The main rule for the Community is to love each other. The Bible verse 1 Peter 4: 8–11 guides them: "Love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gifts he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms."
Serving Others
The Community loves to serve others. They welcome guests who come for retreats at Craig Lodge. They pray with them and make them feel at home.
The Community also works with young people. They hold several youth events each year. These happen around Easter, in the Summer, and during Advent. There is also a team that visits secondary schools.
The Community has a popular music group. This group leads lively prayer sessions each week. Their music is a special part of the youth events.
The Community also supports family life. They make families feel welcome at Craig Lodge. They have developed Family Week retreats. These retreats have talks for parents and activities for children.
The special saints who guide the Craig Lodge Community are: Our Lady Queen of Peace, Saint Joseph, Saint Therese of Lisieux, and Saint Francis.
Craig Lodge Family House of Prayer
Craig Lodge is a Roman Catholic retreat center. It offers many different retreats throughout the year.
Retreat Topics
The retreats cover various topics. These include healing, studying the Bible, and learning about Theology of the Body. They also have retreats about Pope John Paul II, Ignatius Spiritual Exercises, and fasting.
The Way of the Cross
Visitors can walk a special path called A Way of the Cross. It is on the hill behind Craig Lodge. There are stone markers for each Station of the Cross.
Mary's Meals
The international charity Mary's Meals has its main office at Craig Lodge. This charity helps feed children in schools around the world. Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow OBE, who started Mary's Meals, works from Craig Lodge.
