From April 30 to May 3, 2026, members of the CLC in Slovakia gathered at Donovaly for the annual Community Weekend, which this year also included the IV. National Assembly of the community. The meeting brought together members from different parts of Slovakia, together with their families, in a spirit of prayer, discernment, fellowship, and gratitude.
The Community Weekend is a traditional event of the Slovak CLC community. It offers a valuable opportunity for members to deepen relationships, share experiences of faith and service, and strengthen the bonds of friendship within the community. Inspired by Psalm 100 and the Ignatian Principle and Foundation, Fr. Jakub Garčár, SJ (ecclesiastical assistant) invited members to rediscover gratitude, joyful service, and trust in God’s faithful guidance. In his opening reflection, he encouraged the community to remember God’s gifts received through creation, redemption, and community life, and to respond with gratitude and generosity.
We were invited to reflect personally and in small groups:
- I will remember and give thanks for the blessings I have received from the Lord through our community over the past years. In which moments did I feel most deeply that I truly belong here?
- I want to place before the Lord all that I am experiencing, including my worries about tomorrow.
- How can I respond to the Lord for His blessings and care for me through our community, for His mercy and love, and for His faithful and loving presence? What does the invitation to serve the Lord with joy mean for me personally?
These moments of sharing and listening created a deep atmosphere of openness, gratitude, and mutual encouragement. The weekend itself unfolded in a joyful spirit marked by prayer, conversations, shared meals, liturgical celebrations, and moments of silence.
A particularly important part of this year’s gathering was the IV. National Assembly. The Assembly became a space for communal discernment about the election of a new executive council, reflection on the past period and an invitation to continuity in the community. We prayed and listened together in the Ignatian spirit, seeking to recognize God’s invitations for the next stage of the community’s journey.
During the Assembly, we reflected on the life and mission of CLC in Slovakia, on the fruits and challenges of recent years, and on the call to continue growing as an apostolic body at the service of the Church and society. The discussions highlighted the importance of personal responsibility, collaboration, and openness to the Holy Spirit in community life.
One of the central moments of the Assembly was the election of the new executive council. The newly elected leaders accepted their service with humility and trust, recognizing it as a shared mission entrusted to the whole community. Members expressed gratitude for the generous service of the previous leadership team and entrusted the future of the community to God’s guidance.
A meaningful concluding activity of the weekend was a shared reflection using the image of a bridge and a river. We named the “pillars” that support and sustain the life of the community — values, experiences, relationships, and practices that should remain strong for the future. At the same time, we reflected on what we would like to let “flow away” with the river: fears, burdens, habits, or attitudes that no longer help the community grow in freedom and mission. This final reflection became a powerful expression of hope, gratitude, and openness to God’s continuing work in the life of CLC in Slovakia.
We, members of CLC in Slovakia, are grateful for this communal experience and pray for the newly elected executive council, for all local communities, and for the continued growth of the mission entrusted to the Christian Life Community in Slovakia.
