‘Sister Flo’ ready to go; new leader named for Monsignor O’Dwyer Retreat Center

A religious sister known for her compassion and dedication to young people is bringing her passion for ministry to a new mission in the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

Sister Florencia Silva Cabrera, known as “Sister Flo,” has arrived from her native Peru to serve as director of the Monsignor O’Dwyer Retreat Center in Sparks.

She has spent half of her 25 years in ministry working with young people in the United States, including nine years in the Diocese of Bridgeport, where she served three years as director of youth ministry. During that time, she worked with Archbishop William E. Lori, then bishop of the Connecticut diocese.

“We’ve been very good friends for 20 years,” Sister Flo said. “He knew me when I was very young, very excited about the faith, very on fire about my own consecration and life.”

Sister Flo said the archbishop has expressed his hope that the O’Dwyer retreat center becomes an “epicenter” for young people to encounter Christ and deepen their love for him.

A former member of the Peruvian-based Marian Community of Reconciliation, Sister Flo most recently served as the community’s general treasurer in Lima. Before that, she led as local superior in Santiago, Chile and San Antonio, Texas.

Following the suppression of the community by Pope Francis, she continues religious life as a personally consecrated religious sister and said she will soon make religious vows with Archbishop Lori in the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

Though trained as a psychologist, Sister Flo said she has found her true calling in youth ministry.

“I always had a soft spot for those who were farther away from the faith, the desire to bring the Gospel and to bring Christ to those who either don’t know him or, for whatever reason, had walked away from the church,” she said.

She’s already begun engaging with high school students and youth from Baltimore-area parishes with what she calls an almost brand-new ministry team at the retreat center.

“We create the space and the opportunity for God to touch their hearts,” she said.
“God is already pursuing them and trying to bring them closer to himself. We are just workers in the vineyard. It’s his vineyard.“

The retreat center’s chapel is undergoing renovation, made possible by donors, for whom she expressed deep gratitude.

“It’s going to be gorgeous,” Sister Flo said. “Even though we can pray anywhere, a beautiful, sacred space is so important and helpful to help us encounter God.”

As she begins her new ministry, she hopes to pilot a program for homeschooling families, offer youth ministry and faculty retreats, and expand the center’s outdoor education program. In the tradition of St. John Paul II, she would like to use nature as a launching pad for people to encounter God the creator, she said.

But her plans remain flexible.

“We also want to respond to the need and not just come up with our own ideas, but to listen to what the needs are in the archdiocese,” she said. “How can we respond to those needs and provide that necessary space and resources?”

Sister Flo holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru and a master’s in Catholic pastoral and educational studies from the Maryvale Institute in Birmingham, England. 

O’Dwyer Retreat Center at a Glance

• Founded in 1963 by Monsignor Clare J. O’Dwyer
• First retreat hosted students from Mount St. Joseph High School in Irvington
• Serves 7,000-8,000 youth and adults annually

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