Retreats for Priests
Priests need a chance to recharge their soul, too!
We offer 5-day and 8-day silent retreats for priests based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola.
During a Directed Retreat, a conference is given daily to give a summary of suggested meditation themes according to the dynamics of the spiritual exercises. A spiritual director is assigned to meet with the retreatant daily. Together they explore the retreatant’s experience of the Holy Spirit guiding the retreatant.
The Week-Long Spiritual Exercises are for those well familiar with mental prayer, silence and the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises. This longer format permits more personal prayer time. With longer periods of silence, you are challenged to stretch your soul, thus engage in deeper intimacy with God.
The preaching moments are meant to provide a general direction for the day, but not replace the retreatant's heart to heart dialogue with God.
With limited moments of preaching, when the general direction is given for the day, the retreatants are free to pray on their own. The retreat master and other spiritual directors are available for the daily colloquy to help the retreatants detect the movements of the Holy Spirit.
8-Day Spiritual Exercises for Priests
Dates
- July 22-31 | Register
- Arrival: July 22, anytime after 3:30pm. Dinner will be at 6:00pm
- Departure: After breakfast the morning of Wednesday, July 31.
- Cost: $975 per person until Jul 1, after that $1,025
- Registration fee includes single bedroom, meals, retreat booklet & material.
- Please Note: This retreat will track with a Lay Men's Week-Long retreat.
Tracks: Directed & Preached
This year, two tracks will be offered to priests with separate leaders; additionally, there will be a lay track coinciding for most of the time (see here for more on the lay track.) All groups will come together for common activities, such as mass, stations, meals, etc.
Track 1:
- Directed Retreat
- Retreat Master: Fr. Robert Presutti, LC
Track 2:
- Preached Retreat
- Retreat Master: Fr. Lino Otero, LC
Retreat Director, Preached Retreat: Fr. Lino Otero, LC
Originally from Nicaragua, my family moved to Miami, Florida when I was a teenager. Soon afterwards I experienced the call to serve God without reservations. Since then, I have had experience in hospital ministry, working as a middle school teacher, leading a parish school, organizing soccer tournaments for kids, starting a radio station, training priests in leadership formation, organizing a parish community from maintenance to mission, and much more. I love spiritual direction and preaching. Years of philosophy, psychology and theological training have enriched my personal life and have shaped my message of hope. Fr. Lino is the Director of Regnum Christi in the Atlanta, Georgia.
Retreat Director, Directed Retreat: Fr. Robert Presutti, LC, Ph.D, Ph.L
Fr. Robert Presutti served at Divine Mercy University over the years in various capacities, including the VP for Academic and Student Affairs and most recently in the Spiritual Direction Certificate. He is originally from Italy, grew up in Chicago, completed his formation in the Legionaries of Christ in the US, Spain, Rome, and Mexico, and has served in a wide array of ministries and apostolate.
Throughout his years as a religious and priest, he has served as spiritual director for persons from a variety of backgrounds and walks of life, and has experience guiding people through the Spiritual Exercises in a variety of formats. He currently assists with chaplaincy (retreats, spiritual directions) at Our Lady of Bethesda in Maryland and continues to offer 30 day and 8 day retreats.