It is rare enough to find a good retreat master, and rarer still one who will offer Mass, hear Confessions, and lead the Hours of the Divine Office in their traditional forms. That is why these upcoming men’s and women’s 5-day retreats in Ohio, led by monks from Notre Dame Priory in Tasmania, Austrlia, are such a great opportunity for Catholics in the USA.
The retreats are based on the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius, with a taste of the monks’ Benedictine life. Each day of the silent retreat involves Holy Mass in the usus antiquior, a series of conferences to prepare retreatants for the meditations proposed in the Spiritual Exercises, devotions and certain Hours of the monastic Office. There will be plenty of opportunities to see a priest for spiritual direction and the Sacrament of Penance.
The dates and venue are as follows:
The retreats are based on the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius, with a taste of the monks’ Benedictine life. Each day of the silent retreat involves Holy Mass in the usus antiquior, a series of conferences to prepare retreatants for the meditations proposed in the Spiritual Exercises, devotions and certain Hours of the monastic Office. There will be plenty of opportunities to see a priest for spiritual direction and the Sacrament of Penance.
The dates and venue are as follows:
Men’s 5 day retreat: Sunday 29 September–Friday 4 October 2019
Women’s 5 day retreat: Sunday 6 October–Friday 11 October 2019
Maria Stein Spiritual Center
2365 St. Johns Road
Maria Stein, Ohio 45860
Women’s 5 day retreat: Sunday 6 October–Friday 11 October 2019
Maria Stein Spiritual Center
2365 St. Johns Road
Maria Stein, Ohio 45860
A past Australian retreatant produced a video some years ago, giving a glimpse of the retreats at a centre near Sydney, where the monks have held retreats in previous years. One day, the monks hope to build a traditional-style monastery with guesthouse and retreat centre, where they will be able to offer souls these retreats in the context of the full monastic life.
The cost is $450 and bookings can be made here.
About Notre Dame Priory
Notre Dame Priory was founded in 2017 by Dom Pius Mary Noonan, OSB, a professed American monk of Abbaye St Joseph de Clairval, in Flavigny-Sur-Ozerain, France. After many years of monastic life in France, and many trips to Australia to give retreats between 2007-2017, Dom Pius Mary departed Flavigny with his Abbot's blessing to pursue this independent Australian foundation at the request of Archbishop Julian Porteous, Archbishop of Hobart in Tasmania. The monks of the Priory live a life of prayer and work in the Benedictine tradition and their hope is to one day be established as a fully autonomous Benedictine monastery and construct a monastery in a traditional design, something beautiful for God, to last many generations. The Priory’s first and most important form of labora is to hold silent and guided retreats for clergy and faithful alike. Following in the footsteps of a very rich tradition, the community seeks to unite the solemn worship of the Trinity with fervent zeal for the salvation of souls.
