The weekend begins with check-in on Friday evening at 6:30 p.m. and continues through Sunday afternoon at 3:30 p.m.  If there is an emergency and someone needs to contact you during the weekend, the phone number is (210) 337-8193.

Our weekend is very casual.  You will be most comfortable in informal, appropriate clothing such as jeans, sneakers, etc.  Remember to pack for the weather as we do have periods when we walk outdoors.

Please bring your own towels, sheets and pillow case. Pillows and a blanket are provided. All meals are provided except there will be no evening meal on Friday so please be sure to eat before you arrive.   Please bring a snack item to share with others.

PLEASE NOTE:  Bringing alcohol and/or drugs, other than prescribed medication, is prohibited.

We are happy to welcome you in this most special Weekend Experience.  This is a very important step you are taking in your journey towards a new beginning in your life.  Our past experience has been that it can be a most rewarding time for you and even for your extended family and friends.

Thank you for the trust you have placed in us to assist you towards a New Beginning for YOURSELF.

Additional Information

The Beginning Experience is an international ministry, which helps divorced, separated, and widowed individuals resolve their grief surrounding the loss of a marriage partner.  Most people who attend a BE Weekend find it to be a life-changing event that sets them on the road to resolving their grief in a safe, loving environment. It has proven to be an effective and beneficial aid in dealing with the complicated grief feelings following the loss of a relationship. The process is not quick, but the BE weekend is a catalyst in overcoming grief, obtaining self-awareness of one’s grief, seeing progress in oneself, and proceeding through the stages of grief with more confidence. This proven program has helped in the healing of hundreds of hurting people in San Antonio over the last 30 years.

Sister Josephine Stewart a Roman Catholic Nun founded the ministry in Fort Worth Texas while assisting separated, divorced, and widowed individuals work through the grief recovery process.  The ministry has subsequently expanded worldwide to a current global strength of about 140 English speaking teams.  The local San Antonio Team operates as an accredited ministry of the San Antonio Archdiocese Family Life Office. 

The Team consists of former participants who have gone through similar losses.  After gaining from their experience in overcoming their own grief, they have chosen to volunteer their time and efforts to help others benefit as well.  They are all trained to be good listeners and to ask questions that encourage participants to look inside themselves, and work through the grief process in a non-threatening environment.  Team members are not professional counselors but are caring individuals who lead the participants through a proven process that helps them confront their individual grief in a supportive way. 

The foundation of the program is the Beginning Experience Weekend conducted several times a year at a local retreat center from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon. The program is based on the Roman Catholic Faith but is open to participants from other denominations.  The weekend includes Sunday Mass and the opportunity for private confession with a participating priest.   Interested personnel are encouraged to contact the team for more information.