From Megachurch To MegaCatholic & the Beautiful Power of Retreat

Matthew Leonard is joined by Betsy Orr, Founder and President of The Retreat at Heritage, who shares her incredible conversion story and tells us all about how God led her to create this truly unique new retreat center focused on beauty and silence.
🔵 Check out The Retreat at Heritage & book a spot at Matthew's retreat- "The Divine Whisper: Deeper Prayer & the Silent Embrace of God" from September 13 - 15, 2024: heritagega.secure.retreat.gur...
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0:00 Introducing Betsy Orr
4:40 Growing Up Protestant in the South
7:30 The Impact of Bible Studies
9:16 The Silent Retreat That Changed Everything
13:44 Telling Family and Friends About Becoming Catholic
19:00 Betsy's Husband's Terminal Illness and Conversion
24:00 The Catholic View of Death
26:27 Advice for People Considering Becoming Catholic
28:50 God's Inspiration for a Place of Retreat
35:00 Beauty Leads Us To God
37:10 Silence Transforms Us
42:26 The Retreat at Heritage
About this Episode:
Have you ever been on a truly life-changing retreat? One where you come away thinking, "I'll never be the same!"
It happens a fair bit.
But while a lot of people have experienced God piercing through the noise and busyness of the "day to day"...not many have actually changed faiths as a result.
But that's exactly what happened to my guest on today's Art of Catholic podcast.
And the hilarious thing is that becoming Catholic wasn't even on her radar.
She was just looking for some rest and relaxation.
God had other ideas...big ones!
Today's show is about my good friend and spiritual big sister Betsy Orr, who converted to Catholicism in 2008 and has been doing big things for the Church ever since.
But her story is not without its pain.
That said, her powerful account of conversion and personal loss is an incredible testament to the importance of listening to God's voice and following wherever it leads.
And her conversion isn't the end of the story.
The Holy Spirit surprised her again by leading her to tackle a huge new project...
...a project laser-focused on drawing other Catholics in to hear that same whisper of God in the holy silence of a retreat.
This is a story you're going to want to hear.

[@halleylujah247]

I wish you could clip that approximate 18:30 min mark. Her explanation for how she discussed her journey is gold.

[@tonygville2969]

Praise God ☝️🙏 What a beautiful testimony of the Wonders of Our Lord Jesus Christ 🙏 I used to attend Metro Bible Study back in the early 80s and Mylon LeFevre was the janitor at the church it was at. I was raised Catholic and I'm the 12th of 13 siblings, and I was thrown out of the house and school in 10th grade. A place called the Seed in Ft Lauderdale helped save my life in 1975iish. In 1979 I asked God to be Real in my Life on a challenge, and He showed up 😁☝️🙏 This was through Campus Life Youth for Christ and unfortunately the first thing they do is get you out of the Catholic Church. Pastor Steve Brown at Key Biscayne Presbyterian Church was my pastor until I moved to Atlanta in 1981, and then it was Laverne Campbell at Calvary Chapel. I remember when Lenny Frisbee came to Miami, just as I was heading to Atlanta. We had most of the members of Kansas attending our little basement church 😁 But sadly when my Folks came to visit, I didn't know where a Catholic Church was. It wasn't until 1991 when I got a hold of a four pack of cassette tapes by Steve Wood that I knew I was in trouble 😮😮 I knew that I was about to lose a lot of friends and I did, but I got The Real Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus and His Holy Family too. We tend to forget that it's a Family Thing ☝️🙏😁 I ran hotel conventions in Atlanta, Hilton Head SC, Miami, Orlando for 20 years and I would love to end up working with a Retreat House one day 🙂 But I'm getting older and the hotel convention industry will kill your body. I started in the business with the late Bob Haney and Video Supply Company. So cool that you are offering a facility for the Faithful ☝️🙏 Many Blessings on your journey ☝️🙏 Viva Cristo Rey

[@aquietcatholic]

I absolutely love what Betsy is doing! We need more quiet in our lives. While my own project is carried out in a very different way, I think the motivation is the same. God bless her in her endeavors!

[@johnchung6777]

Yeah I’m so elated about this woman husband converting to the Catholic Church before he passed on from this earthly life and received the sacraments while he still was living,but what I’m even more elated about is that he received the sacrament of last rights which is extreme unction before he died which is for us Catholics a guaranteed way to be saved. I know that for those who are not Catholics they cannot understand or believe this but of what I’ve mentioned is in scripture

[@kenbaron5630]

Great interview! Very good points on conversion, faith, prayer, retreat, and silence. I’m going to pray about joining you in September for the retreat. Peace.

[@MatthewLeonard]

Awesome, Ken! Would love to have you!

[@mariestoner7533]

Matthew: Imagine the surprise when I read your msg regarding the interview with Betsy Orr! I consider it a “God wink”! So glad to know that you will be speaking at the Heritage. Such great news!!! God bless you and yours. Marie

[@MatthewLeonard]

I hope you can come, Marie!

[@mariestoner7533]

Will be working on that!!!

[@user-gl9jd3ih8h]

Excellent interview Matt. Well done. You've got a great interview style - you listen and engage well with your guests. I enjoyed listening and the hour passes quickly! Thank you. 😅

[@MatthewLeonard]

Thank you and God be praised!

[@user-gl9jd3ih8h]

Betsy's retreat really lends itself to people that are facing some major health issues, like cancer (eg. breast cancer) and end of life issues etc. I hope she might partner with various groups, hospitals etc to provide her retreat as a resource for their consideration.🌹 Betsy's been through the process with her deceased husband, so would have that personal, lived experience.

[@FigaroHey]

Confused here: in Poland, the Church says that women choose a female confirmation saint and men choose a man. Is this not universal Church practice? (Please, refer to authoritative Church documents if you have an answer, not just "my priest said".) It was certainly the rule when I was confirmed in the 1970s in the US. How did Larry choose St Rita? I researched this when preparing adult converts for sacraments of initiation and never found permission for men to choose women role-models or women to choose male saints.