By Fr. Ralph Kleiter, Ministry to Tourism, Saskatoon

Ministry to Tourism over the last number of years has served travelers today with all kinds of travel programs around the world. The intent has been to help people discover the sacred in reflective travel during an increasingly secular age. I too have learned a lot by travelling with them.

I have learned that many people only begin to plan serious travel upon retirement, generally in their early or mid sixties (and today this is happening even later in life).

I admire those who are willing to venture out at this time knowing that to travel means it will often require a change in one’s perspective.

My experience also indicates that when people have not been able to travel during their working years because of family commitments, they will not suddenly acquire the mind-set to become travelers when the pension cheques arrive. Travel has a highly cultural component that we intentionally develop over the years, which pushes us to change and to plan, including provision for the necessary finances.

When we venture out into the world that is still open to visit today, retirees sometimes find themselves in a very foreign landscape. Their values and insights even their faith may seem to be in the midst of society’s peripheries. Some retirees find this uncomfortable while others find it opportune.

Furthermore, I have observed that health issues, which frequently arise during later years, is a primary barrier to travel, even more so than finances. To travel, especially overseas, a reasonably stable health is necessary. Yet, I sadly often observe that some simply use this as an excuse and prefer to wait around so they are at home for when the inevitable illness arrives. It requires a lot of common sense, trust and determination to rise above this thinking.

Decision to move forward with a Ministry to Tourism Retiree’s Enhancement Program

I have decided that, God willing, I ought in my remaining time and with my travel experience to continue offering, especially to retirees, clearly designed opportunities to “Discover the Sacred in Reflective Travel” sensitive to their different backgrounds but always adding enrichment and joy to their retirement. This will in turn be an example and gift to their families and friends.

We are living in an aging society where deep concerns are felt at all levels. There are many resources available to help address this contemporary reality.

I have long been a fan of Leonard Doohan, Professor Emeritus in Religious Studies at Gonzaga in Spokane, Washington   www.leonarddoohan.org. In the early 1990s he helped me facilitate a “Retreat at Sea” on an Alaskan Cruise for some thirty people based on his acclaimed book, “Leisure – A Spiritual Need.”

Another of his books, “Enjoying Retirement” is a gem, as it helps people prepare for retirement and holistically live these retirement years which today can easily be 20-30 years of our lives. In the introduction he writes: “This book is for a new kind of retiree – including the baby-boomer generation – who seeks to deal with retirement years not as an end of usefulness but as a major period in life…”  Doohan maintains that this time is an important occasion for each of us.

“Retirement is a time for a new beginning, a time to face change and transition with a renewal of commitment to those values felt deep in our hearts. Retirement is an opportunity to appreciate the gift of time like never before and to use our time well……..” – Leonard Doohan

Therefore, in 2020 and 2021, Ministry to Tourism’s travel enrichment programs will focus on themes often developed by Leonard Doohan and others. In hearing of my plans, Doohan writes: “This sounds wonderful. There are few people with your experience to integrate the joys of tourism with the cultural enrichment of travel and the depth of spiritual insight.”

When possible, guest presenters will support the focused themes of travel programs. Other tools will also enhance the experience of integrating and enriching the entire cruise/tour for retirees… but always with lots of fun.

A different pair of lenses is required to move travel from simply a “tourist” experience, touching here and there without fully focusing in any depth or greater enjoyment. More investment in time and details are obviously required.

I have travelled extensively on all modes of travel. I have come to believe that the best over-all value in travel today can be found on cruise lines. I speak from experience having served as a staff member on many cruise ships.

For seniors, a cruise setting supports their objectives such as stability, good variety, mobility convenience, accessible health professionals and exceptional enrichment opportunities. In short, a cruise offers more time that can support moving beyond simply being a tourist. Leonard Doohan says he thinks that “retirees would find this a safe, enriching and thought provoking experience.”

I have selected several cruise possibilities for 2020 and 2021. All are 12-16 days, allowing some personal options before or after the cruise. The details of a respective Ministry to Tourism Retiree’s Enhancement Program will be provided before final commitment.

Upcoming in 2020

A unique travel program with Crystal Cruises is available June 19-July 3, 2020. This cruise to the Land of the Midnight Sun features the “North Cape Brilliance” past the Arctic Circle during the extended summer sunlight sailing from London (Dover) to the Fjords of Norway and as far north as the North Cape terminating in Oslo. An option to extend the cruise by 11 days after Norway from Copenhagen to Baltic ports, including St. Petersburg, is also available, July 3-14, 2020.

Although there will be countless opportunities for many life-enriching moments, Ministry to Tourism will also be offering during “Sea Days,” a time for private gatherings on the cruise. The focus of the “Sea Days” program will be Leonard Doohan’s work-Enjoying Retirement–Living Life to the Fullest. Based on Doohan’s research and feedback from retirees, each 45 minute session will conclude with helpful suggestions to live this time in an enriching and enjoyable way. Suggestions about what to do, what to avoid and what to think about will be offered.

Besides the cruise’s superior enrichment programs addressing body, mind and spirit, the small party will have the opportunity and challenge “to approach this stage in life with enthusiasm and anticipation, developing this stage in life—as much as a third of life for many—for its own sake as the best period in our lives and as a time to enhance our lives with values that mean the most to us.” (from Introduction to “Enjoying Retirement” by Leonard Doohan)

Info about another Ministry to Tourism offering: Paris and Lourdes

For more information about this program, other possibilities, or about Ministry to Tourism, contact Rev. Ralph Kleiter, 314-619 Saskatchewan Crescent West, Saskatoon, SK S7M 0A5, Canada; e-mail: kleiter@shaw.ca website: www.pilgrimjourneys.ca or telephone (306) 244-3747.