THE MONASTERY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Zoom Retreat Schedule – 2022
Our retreat house is now open as we continue our church renovations. You can now call and book your private retreat stay.
By popular demand, we will continue to offer our Zoom retreats. Members of the community will give these conferences in addition to our regular Retreat Presenters. Please call the retreat house if you are interested in joining one of our Zoom Conferences.
Our Office is open Monday-Friday 8:00-1:00 PM, and the number is 770-760-0959. Suggested donation for Zoom Retreats: $45.00
Below are the Scheduled Virtual Zoom Retreats and their presenters.
Jan Feb March April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
Saturday, January 15
Contemplative Prayer
(Br. Michael)
Prayer is a loving exchange with God. When we learn to receive the gift of God's presence through loving silence, we are able 
to develop our personal relationship with Him. One way to receive this gift is through centering prayer, traditionally known as contemplative prayer. This type of prayer enables us to rest in God, leading to a more intimate relationship with Him.
Virtual Retreat on Zoom
Two sessions on Saturday, January 16, 9:30 AM & 1:30 PM
Saturday, January 29
Hope in a Time of Chaos
(Br. Mark)
We live in a time of chaos and fear. Our country is in turmoil, people are lashing out, and 
violence is rising. Yet as faith-filled people, we are called to hope. No one knows what awaits us, but our faith can root us in the present and spare us unnecessary anxiety and worry. This retreat will help us remember that our hope is in Jesus Christ, Our Lord!
Virtual Retreat on Zoom
Two sessions on Saturday, January 30, 9:30 AM & 1:30 PM
Saturday, February 5 back to top
Dancing Madly Backwards
(Br. Elias)
This retreat focuses on what St. Benedict calls the tools of the spiritual craft: various practical 
ways to follow the lead of the Spirit in the unfolding of a silent, loving communion with God beyond the senses, words or rituals. Participants will learn practices to deepen the silence at the bottom of the soul, skillful ways that deal with harmful thoughts and feelings, the prayer of gratitude, the use of the imagination in praying the Gospels, ways to silence the chatter and commentaries inside the mind, and how to “dance madly backwards” by releasing the power of the Name of Jesus.
Virtual Retreat on Zoom
Two Sessions on Saturday, 9:30 AM & 1:30 PM
Saturday, February 19
Preparing for Lent
(Fr. Gerard)
Lent is a season of reflection and preparation before the celebrations of Easter. It is a time to make space within the soul, to simplify one’s life. During Lent, we make room for God, a conscious choice that can involve some sacrifice. It is about being open to grace. Let us prepare for this journey together and see where God is taking us.
Virtual Retreat on Zoom
Two sessions on Saturday, February 13, 9:30 AM & 1:30 PM
Saturday, March 12 back to top
Silence (SPANISH RETREAT)
(Br. Juan Diego)
El corazón humano añora el silencio. Es el telón de fondo para las palabras de amor, y medicina para el ritmo acelerado de nuestro tiempo. En este retiro buscamos cultivar nuestra capacidad de silencio, y así escuchar la voz del Padre "que está presente en el secreto" (Mt. 6.)
Virtual Retreat on Zoom
Two Sessions on Saturday, 9:30 AM & 1:30 PM
Saturday, March 26
Surrender To Love
(Kenny Payne)
God is love! It is a well-known description of God, yet for many people, it does not ring true to their experience or theology. If our relationship with God is built upon any foundation besides love, we will miss out on the great joy and security of grace. Ironically, the security of love comes only after taking the risk to love. This retreat explores the love of God by way of David Benner’s wonderful book “Surrender to Love.” Please join us and make the move from believing that God is love to experiencing the love of God!
Virtual Retreat on Zoom
Two Sessions on Saturday, 9:30 AM & 1:30 PM
Saturday, April 9
Palm Sunday: Meeting Jesus during Holy Week
(Fr. Gerard)
In the Passion narratives of the Gospels, we meet three facets of Jesus: (1) Jesus who 
plumbs the depths of human pain and alienation; (2) Jesus who reaches out to others in concern and forgiveness, even on the road to Calvary; and (3) Jesus who freely lays down His life and embraces death as victory. Contemplating these facets assures us that God is listening, even in our darkest hours of pain, failure, and alienation. We can find God in suffering when we open ourselves to His reconciling compassion and forgiveness. Even the worst evil and distortion in our world have no power
Virtual Retreat on Zoom
Two Sessions on Saturday, 9:30 AM & 1:30 PM
Saturday, April 23 back to top 
Divine Mercy Retreat
(Br. Mark)
God has revealed to us His boundless, merciful love in His Son, Jesus. His heart was broken with love as He wept over a Jerusalem that would later refuse His love, nailing Him to a cross. That cross brings us to hope today. The message has rung out through the centuries, yet we have often become deaf to His merciful love. This retreat will focus on how we can receive the healing love poured out from the radiant heart of our Lord once we learn to put our trust in Him.
Virtual Retreat on Zoom
Two Sessions on Saturday, 9:30 AM & 1:30 PM
Saturday, April 30
Creativity as a Spiritual Path
(Alison Umminger & Jackie Sullivan)
God, the great creator, has given each of us unique creative gifts, as well as called each of us to help in the ongoing creation of God's vision for humanity. After childhood, many of us lose faith in these gifts or cease to trust that God wants to work in and through us. This retreat will look at spiritual and creative blocks as interconnected and help retreatants connect with their creative selves. By utilizing tools from Julia Cameron's THE ARTISTS WAY and SoulCollage®, retreatants will be invited to connect more deeply with their creative vision and honor their gifts and talents as God-given. No artistic skill necessary, just an open heart. If in-person, all materials will be provided, but you are welcome to bring any materials with which you might like to collage.
Virtual Retreat on Zoom
Two Sessions on Saturday, 9:30 AM & 1:30 PM
Saturday, May 7
Stewardship of God’s Creation
(Fr. Francis Michael)
Creation is God’s gift to us. We are called as Christians to care for this precious gift. We must not leave the care of the environment to others. As we are called to care for the life of all people from the womb until natural death, we are called to also cherish the gift of our planet earth with its soil, water, plants, and animals all knit together in the Web of life. We do not see the care of creation as opposed to caring for all human life, but rather, care for humans demands that we care for our home, the earth. To love God is to love all His good gifts.
Virtual Retreat on Zoom
Two Sessions on Saturday, 9:30 AM & 1:30 PM
Saturday, May 21
Codependency
(Br. Michael)
On this retreat, we will discuss denial patterns, low self-esteem patterns, compliance patterns, control patterns, and avoidance patterns that affect healthy relationships. We will talk about healthy ways to deal with these patterns. Our goal is to have healthy inter-dependent relationships with family, relatives, friends, co-workers, and even with God.
Virtual Retreat on Zoom
Two Sessions on Saturday, 9:30 AM & 1:30 PM
Saturday, June 4
The Power of Silence
(Fr. Gerard)
Silence is more than a lack of noise, in silence we learn about ourselves, then our true journey begins. We move beneath our worries, anger, and illusions coming to experience our true feelings, joys, and pains. Our demons are unmasked. As we go deeper we hear God's gentle voice loving us boundlessly and making us sensitive to God in others, in each moment. We learn of grace, overflowing mercy, and yes we start to trust in the struggle that we are all called to, the long journey to become fully human as Christ Jesus was fully human.
Virtual Retreat on Zoom
Two Sessions on Saturday, 9:30 AM & 1:30 PM
Saturday, June 18 back to top
Too Deep for Words
(Br. Elias)
In the teachings of Jesus, there are prayers, and then prayer---a silent, loving communion with God beyond the senses, 
words, or rituals. We invite retreatants to learn prayer rooted in the Gospels---ancient, proven ways for the most part, unknown in our culture. The theme of this retreat is the gradual unfolding of the divine image within us into likeness. Participants will become familiar with the use of the breath and imagination in prayer, and ways to develop interior silence and stillness. We will also present practices to deal with afflictive thoughts and feelings, and the incessant chatter and commentaries inside us that prevent our going deeper into God. As a final word, this retreat longs to help participants to become more of what they already are, living flames of kindness and compassion.
Virtual Retreat on Zoom
Two Sessions on Saturday, 9:30 AM & 1:30 PM
Saturday, July 16
Spirituality of Imperfection
(Br. Michael)
The spirituality of imperfection speaks to those who seek meaning in the absurd, peace within the chaos, light within the darkness, and joy within the suffering, without denying the reality and even the necessity of absurdity, chaos, darkness, and suffering. This is not spirituality for the saints or the gods, but for people who suffer from what the philosopher and psychologist William James called “torn-to-pieces-hood.” We have all known that experience. To be human is to feel, at times, divided, fractured, and pulled in a dozen directions ... and to yearn for serenity and some healing of our “torn-to-pieces-hood.
Virtual Retreat on Zoom
Two Sessions on Saturday, 9:30 AM & 1:30 PM
Saturday, July 30
Befriending Fear
(Br. Mark)
In life, there are fears that have to be faced and even embraced if we are to grow and expand. Fear has a good purpose. It protects us from danger. However, it can also keep us from stepping over obstacles that keep us from maturing and living life fully. Once we give in to fears that are based on a lack of self-worth, it can become a habit that can back those afflicted into a very small corner. It is not an easy journey, but one well worth taking.
Virtual Retreat on Zoom
Two sessions on Saturday, January 30, 9:30 AM & 1:30 PM
Saturday, August 13 back to top
The Power of Prayer
(Fr. Gerard)
The power of prayer is its ability to make us aware of our childlike dependence on God’s freely given grace. It is all about the heart. As we make time for God, we allow room for grace to enter. It allows us to put our ego aside and to go deeper in and allow healing to happen. It is all about relationship, not about technique.
Virtual Retreat on Zoom
Two Sessions on Saturday, 9:30 AM & 1:30 PM
Saturday, August 27
Sharing our Faith Journey
(Rain Ross & Br. Mark)
We each have our stories of God’s hand in our lives, from our answered prayers to those unforgettable spiritual awakenings. Rain Ross & Br. Mark will share their personal faith journey and ask others who would like to share theirs to do so as well. They will also share their sufferings and woundedness and how it helped them on their journey to God!
Virtual Retreat on Zoom
Two sessions on Saturday, January 30, 9:30 AM & 1:30 PM
Saturday, September 10
Cistercian Spirituality
(Fr. Cassian)
This retreat will explore how the Charisms, such as patience, humility, Liturgy
of the Hours, Lectio Divina, silence, and solitude, that define the life of the monastic community can be readily translated to the lay community. We will discuss how you can live the Charisms in your everyday life.
Virtual Retreat on Zoom
Two Sessions on Saturday, 9:30 AM & 1:30 PM
Saturday, September 24
The Monk Within
(Br. Michael)
As we are all contemplatives; we all have a “monk within.” Come and discover "the monk within you." This retreat will focus on ways to nourish the contemplative dimension in yourself through prayer, silence, solitude, work, and community.
Virtual Retreat on Zoom
Two Sessions on Saturday, 9:30 AM & 1:30 PM back to top
Saturday, October 8
Making Better Decisions: Ignatian Discernment for Everyone
(Alison Umminger & Jackie Sullivan)
This retreat will explain some of the basic Ignatian rules for discernment, which will allow retreatants a better toolkit for making
decisions, big and small. In addition to simply learning from the wisdom of the past, retreatants will participate in a variety of exercises designed to access intuition, memory, embodied wisdom, and reason for the purpose of moving our lives into ever-greater harmony with God's dream for us. All are welcome, as these tools are helpful for anyone. This is an especially good retreat for those discerning an important choice or those who have trouble making decisions.
Virtual Retreat on Zoom
Two Sessions on Saturday, 9:30 AM & 1:30 PM
Saturday, October 15
The Magic of Life and the Near-Death Experience
(Br. Elias)
In the Near Death Experience we may come to know who God really is. Someone described it this way: "an immense, radiant love poured out from God, consuming me with inexpressible love. With all my heart I wanted to melt into Him as if we were one." This experience is so powerful that it may alter our relationship with God in a radical way. We will explore the implications of this change.
Virtual Retreat on Zoom
Two Sessions on Saturday, 9:30 AM & 1:30 PM
Saturday, October 22
Encountering Jesus in the Eucharist
(Fr. Gerard)
The Eucharist is the most intimate way in which Jesus Christ is present to us... By participating in the Mass, each one of us has the opportunity to encounter Jesus in the most profound way possible. It is a little piece of Heaven here on earth each time we receive Him, what a Joy!
Virtual Retreat on Zoom
Two Sessions on Saturday, 9:30 AM & 1:30 PM
Saturday, November 5
Conversations with a Monk
(Fr. Francis Michael)
We will have different members of our community as presenters for these conferences and they will take place on either a Saturday morning or Thursday evening, each conference will last about an hour and a half. It will be a time for sharing and answering questions. So be sure to have your questions ready!
Virtual Retreat on Zoom
Two Sessions on Saturday, 9:30 AM & 1:30 PM
Saturday, November 12
Liturgy of the Hours as Spiritual Experience
(Celpha Sands, Jackie Sullivan, and Alison Umminger Mattison)
This retreat will look at the Liturgy of the Hours as an opportunity to deepen our spiritual engagement and create a daily practice of connection with our spirituality. Participants will be invited to reflect on the "time of day" in their own spiritual lives and learn more about an ancient practice that can connect our modern selves to a deeper rhythm for our lives.
Virtual Retreat on Zoom
Two Sessions on Saturday, 9:30 AM & 1:30 PM back to top
Saturday, November 19
A Day of Reflection: Preparing for Advent
(Br. Mark)
Advent is the season of preparation - getting ready for Jesus. Are you ready for His coming during this wonderful time of year? His coming in the flesh Son of God, Son of Mary. His Birth is the central event in human history. Christ came into the world and His birth has affected the world as none other. Come join us as we prepare to receive Him!
Virtual Retreat on Zoom
Two Sessions on Saturday, 9:30 AM & 1:30 PM
Saturday, December 3
12 Step Spirituality for Everyone
(Br. Michael)
This retreat will show how everyone can use the Twelve Steps of AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) in their spiritual lives. The retreat will provide practical ways to use the Twelve Steps as spiritual “tools” on your journey to God.
Virtual Retreat on Zoom
Two Sessions on Saturday, 9:30 AM & 1:30 PM
Saturday, December 10
Practicing Ancient Wisdom
(Br. Elias)
In our time together we will explore certain aspects of this wisdom, such as the silence at the bottom of the soul and the grace of going deep and staying deep. All of this with a kind and grateful heart.
Virtual Retreat on Zoom
Two Sessions on Saturday, 9:30 AM & 1:30 PM