The demands of being a pastor are great, especially when they arise so soon after ordination or an experienced pastor finds himself desiring to come away with our Lord to a deserted place and rest a while (Mk. 6:31). The responsibilities of pastoral ministry and administration can too often bring with them isolation, stress, anxiety, and a sense of being overwhelmed.
Please consider coming to the Priestly Renewal Program (PRP) offered by The Saint Paul Seminary Institute for Ongoing Clergy Formation (SPS-IOCF). This experience might be described as a “mini-sabbatical” for renewal and revitalization of priests.
This experience is a unique opportunity for priestly growth and renewal, focusing on supporting and renewing the psychological, emotional and spiritual well-being of priests. Priests will experience fraternal support, rest, recreation, healing and spiritual direction. Our desire is that each priest returns to his parish invigorated in the Holy Spirit, at peace and with clarity of priestly identity and pastoral focus.
The structure includes three days of preparation for a guided five-day Ignatian silent retreat. This is followed by four days of Human Formation and ends with three days of Pastoral Renewal as priests prepare to return to their parishes. The program, from July 5th to July 21st, 2027, will be held at Alverna Retreat House in Winona, MN.
The first three days are time for spiritual formation with Fr. Steven Hoffman (Pastor of St. Peter’s, Mendota) and Fr. Dan Barron, OMV (Executive Director, Lanteri Center for Ignatian Spirituality) as preparation for five-day silent, directed retreat, led by Fr. Barron. Paul Ruff (Human Formation, The Saint Paul Seminary) and Fr. Thomas Berg, Ph.D. (McGrath Institute) will then lead the four-day seminar in human formation and be present for the duration of the experience. Fr. Lenny Andrie (Pastor of St. Therese, Deephaven) and Paul Ruff will facilitate personal and pastoral integration of your experience in the final three days. Spiritual direction will also be available during your time. Bishop Lee Piche will serve as chaplain throughout the experience.
The presented content each day is two hours in the morning in a seminar format, leaving ample time for deep prayer, rest, fraternity, and recreation. The cost is only $1,000 per priest, which is being kept equivalent to a typical five-day retreat. If the cost causes any difficulty for a priest, please reach out to the director of the SPS-IOCF, Deacon Gannon (Daniel.gannon@stthomas.edu) as no priest will be turned away.
We intend to cap the cohort at 12 priests.
Priests should register using the form below or may contact Deacon Gannon at Daniel.gannon@stthomas.edu to register via email.
The Saint Paul Seminary IOCF Priestly Renewal Program
July 5 – July 21, 2027 at the Alverna Center, Winona
This experience focuses on supporting and renewing the psychological, emotional and spiritual well-being of the priest, with him returning invigorated in the Holy Spirit, at peace and with clarity of priestly identity and pastoral focus at his parish.
Date | Session | Details |
|---|---|---|
| July 5 | Arrival | Arrival by 4 p.m. | Intro Session, Social & Dinner | Night Prayer |
| July 6–8 | Spiritual Formation | Focus on prayer as relationship, a heart-to-heart union with the Holy Trinity; Concrete aids for daily prayer and the discernment of spirits to equip the priests for the silent directed retreat that follows. |
| July 9–13 | Retreat | The retreat will meet each priest wherever God is stirring in his heart; The goal is to encounter the Lord’s love in a new way forward, living his priestly vocation with fidelity and joy. |
| July 14–17 | Human Formation | Mediating Christ through our humanity. The priest is invited to a deeper understanding of his strengths and gifts and healing of his wounds. We will focus on deepening in self-knowledge and capacity for self-care, fatherly sacrificial gift in ministry, and fraternal charity. |
| July 18 | Personal Time | Recreation, reflection and rest; fraternity. |
| July 19–21 | Personal & Pastoral Integration | Personal and pastoral applications of your renewal experience of spiritual and human formation. What insights and growth have you experienced and how do you discern the impact on your relationship with Christ and pastoral ministry in your parish. |
Daily Schedule
Time | Schedule |
|---|---|
| 8 a.m. | Morning Prayer – Chapel |
| 8:15 a.m. | Breakfast |
| 9:00 a.m. | Session I |
| 10:00 a.m. | Break |
| 10:15 a.m. | Session II |
| 11:15 a.m. | Mass – Chapel of St. Mary of the Angels |
| Lunch | Refectory |
| 1:00 p.m. | Recreation | Spiritual Direction (available) |
| 4:30 p.m. | Holy Hour – Chapel |
| 5:30 p.m. | Evening Prayer – Chapel |
| 6:00 p.m. | Dinner |
| 7 p.m. | Free time | Social: (Tues & Thurs) |
| 9 p.m. | Night Prayer (optional) |
This experience has already been impactful for priests. Here are some comments from attendees in our 2024 cohort:
The Priestly Renewal Program is a great opportunity for authentic priestly fraternity, personal growth, and deepened communion with God. Unique to the experience is the depth of personal sharing amongst priests in a guided way that fosters the formation of trust and vulnerability across a variety of priestly backgrounds and ages. The joy in the Holy Spirit experienced through priestly brotherhood was one of the great graces of the program for me.
Fr. Jeffrey Dobbs — Pastor of St. John Vianney, Fairmont and St. Peter and Paul’s, Blue Earth, MN
Diocese of Winona-Rochester
Long term, the program boosted my prayer life, enhanced my experience in small group relationships and helped me understand and integrate parts of myself. I’m a better priest and a happier person for it.
Fr. Jim Livingston — Pastor of Church of Saint Paul, Ham Lake, MN
Diocese of Saint Paul-Minneapolis
Register Here
Any questions about the event or registration, please contact Deacon Dan Gannon at Daniel.gannon@stthomas.edu
To make an accessibility request, call Disability Resources at (651) 962-6315.