Calendar of Retreats

Silent Prayer Retreat and the Jesus Prayer

with Jennifer Anna Rich and Fr. Anselm Flores, OSB

May 26 – 29, 2026

The Holy Spirit indwells within each of us, and to grow in increasing awareness of the Spirit’s presence is one of the great joys of Christian life, and a great gift of God’s mercy. Join us for a guided retreat focused on silent prayer, the Jesus prayer, and the practice of lectio divina. These are ways encouraged by the tradition to maintain an awareness of God’s work in our lives.

Cost: $525 single occupancy
Email retreat@mtangel.edu to register.

Jennifer Anna Rich is an author, scriptorium book artist, and urban farmer. She holds a master’s degree in Theology and has been a lifelong student of contemplative prayer. She leads Orthodox prayer retreats and pilgrimages with a deep desire to help others love their prayer lives. She is the author of Prayer Spa: Ancient Treatments for the Modern Soul, and The Little Way of a Pilgrim, recently released by Ancient Faith Kids Publishing. She oversees Oblation Papers & Press with her husband, offers letterpress prayer cards from her private studio, Poustinia Press, and leads pilgrimages and scriptorium workshops with the Gardens of Discovery Eco-Spiritual Centre on Patmos Island Greece.

The Three Ages of Spiritual Life

with Fr. John Paul Le, OSB
July 17 – 19, 2026

This retreat will be an introduction to the three ages of the spiritual life as articulated by the great mystics of the Church and summarized in Garrigou-Lagrange’s The Three Ages of the Spiritual Life. This retreat will go over the process of spiritual growth from the purgative stage to the illuminative stage and finally to the unitive stage. The basic markers of each phase will be addressed as well as the challenges that need to be overcome. By learning about the stages of spiritual growth, one can deepen one’s life in the spirit and grow deeper in intimate union with Christ.

Fr. John Paul was born in 1983 in Garden City Kansas, but most of his childhood was spent on the Southeast Texas coast, where his parents fished for shrimp. They immigrated from Vietnam in 1980. In 1997, his family moved to Washington state where he attended Southridge High School in Kennewick, WA.  He received his B.S. in Life-Science from the University of Portland. After graduation, he did volunteer work in East Timor and Texas with the Salesians. Fr. John Paul entered the monastery of Mount Angel Abbey in 2008 and was ordained to the Sacred Order of the priesthood in 2015. He currently serves in the monastery in various capacities, which include being Subprior, Abbot’s Secretary, Oblate Director, Seminary Professor and Locksmith.

Cost: $350 single occupancy; $550 double occupancy

Email retreat@mtangel.edu to register.

Please note: the schedule is subject to change. A final schedule will be emailed to registrants closer to the retreat.

Faith and Writing: Praying and Writing with St. Augustine

with Chris Anderson
August 24 – 26, 2026

“I am an Augustinian, a son of Saint Augustine, who once said, ‘With you I am a Christian, and for you I am a bishop.’ In this sense, all of us can journey together toward the homeland that God has prepared for us.” —Pope Leo XIV

St. Augustine believed that God speaks to us through our lives, in what he called “drops of time,” and when we remember these moments, he speaks to us again. Using several passages from The Confessions to get us started, we’ll remember a few of our own important moments—and like Augustine, we’ll write about them, informally and from the heart.

For Augustine both writing and remembering can be ways of praying. When we do both, when we write about our past, we begin to see more clearly the sacred story of our lives.

All are welcome, especially those who are insecure about their writing. Please bring your journal or laptop or whatever you write with.

Book recommendations for this retreat is Rex Warner’s translation of Augustine’s Confessions.

Chris Anderson is a retired OSU English Professor, a Catholic deacon, and a poet
and writer in Corvallis, Oregon. Learn more on his website: www.deaconchrisanderson.com.

Cost: $350 single occupancy | $550 double occupancy
Email retreat@mtangel.edu to register.
(Schedule below subject to change)

Keeping a Journal With God

(Original title: “Visible Prayer: Keeping a Journal With God”)

with Margaret Kellermann
October 5 – 7, 2026

In a CNN news report years ago, a non-speaking child typed on her computer: “I hear God’s finest whispers.” Taken aback, the reporter asked the child what God told her. The child typed, “He says he loves me, too.”

To enrich our own journey with God in this retreat, we can learn a simple, meditative way of writing and listening for God’s wise, kind and often surprising response. We’ll quickly review journal keeping basics, then explore the deeper currents of journaling with God, learning from saints, poets and other journal keepers as we go along.

You’ll want to bring your favorite blank book and pen (or your silent electronic device). Upon arrival at the retreat, each participant will receive a copy of Margaret’s new book Journal Keeper’s Alphabet (pub. date June 2026), which we’ll use as a handbook throughout the sessions. When published, additional copies will be available through Mount Angel Bookstore, as well as through Amazon in both paperback and ebook editions.

Margaret Kellermann is a longtime journal workshop leader and the director of Brave Arts in Northern California. Besides authoring Journal Keeper’s Alphabet, she has written eight other books, including Annie California Book One and Annie California and the Nectarine Grove (2026).

Cost: $450 single occupancy | $725 double occupancy
Email retreat@mtangel.edu to register.
(Schedule below subject to change)

Inner Healing with St. Thomas Aquinas

with Christin McIntyre, MD, PhD
October 23 – 25, 2026

Eight hundred years ago, St. Thomas Aquinas described the inner workings of our body-soul composite with profound clarity. Discover how and why the truth of how God made us can set us free from the judgments, lies and ungodly self-reliance rooted in our wounds. The Holy Spirit comes powerfully to our aid as we form our intellect in the truth and conform our will to God’s, restoring the flow of grace in and through us for the healing of ourselves and others.

Dr. Christin McIntyre is a married mother of five who converted to Catholicism in 1997. She earned a combined MD/PhD degree in Pharmacology and Toxicology from the University of Kansas Medical Center, and returned to Oregon to complete a residency in Psychiatry at OHSU. She has been in outpatient practice as a psychiatrist in the Portland area since 2003, transitioning to telehealth in 2020, and now treats patients remotely in four states since relocating to Idaho in 2021. In addition to medication management, psychotherapy continues to be a main focus of her practice. To better serve a growing number of Catholic patients in recent years, she has pursued training in Thomistic psychology as well as with the John Paul II Healing Center, and has been a featured guest on two recent episodes of the Restore the Glory Podcast with Dr. Bob Schuchts and Jake Khym. Dr. McIntyre and her husband are Oblates of Mount Angel Abbey in Oregon, where she offers periodic retreats that draw from her experience in clinical psychiatry, spiritual healing ministry, and the Catholic faith. More information available at www.cjmcintyremd.com.

Cost: $450 single occupancy | $725 double occupancy
Email retreat@mtangel.edu to register.
(Schedule below subject to change)

2 Become 1: A Retreat to Explore the Beauty and Truth of Catholic Marriage

with Fr. Matt Libra, Patricia Mackie LPC, and Br. Louis de Montfort Nguyen, OSB.

November 13 – 15, 2026

The retreat includes marriage inventory, talks on sexual intimacy, spirituality, theology of the body, Mass, beer with the monks, and much more!

Cost: $575 per couple, all inclusive.
Information about financial assistance and scholarship available upon request.
Email retreat@mtangel.edu to register.

Advent Retreat

An Advent Journey with the Ephesians

with Br. Matthew Sislow, OSB

December 4 – 6, 2026

More information to come.

Cost: $350 single occupancy; $550 double occupancy

Email retreat@mtangel.edu to register.

Doorways to Your Soul:
A Weekend Collage Art and Prayer Retreat

With Val Hornburg and Bill Zuelke
April 24–26, 2026

Join us as we go on a prayerful pilgrimage at the beautiful Saint Benedict Guesthouse and Retreat Center at Mount Angel Abbey. We will weave together personal prayer and reflection on our theme Threshold Places: Exploring Life at the Wild Edges of our Hearts and Souls with no-fail creative collaging, and the beauty and peace of Mount Angel Abbey, to create a weekend full of grace. During our time together we will share deep quiet, creative expression, and gentle sharing, along with the fellowship of good food.

Val Hornburg is a spiritual director and trained SoulCollage Facilitator who has been hosting SoulCollage Prayer Card retreats for 15 years.

Bill Zuelke has been designing and giving retreats, as well as providing personal spiritual direction for over 40 years. Bill was a Jesuit and a Catholic priest and his focus has always been Ignatian Spirituality and Discernment of Spirits.

Cost: $550 per person

Lodging and all meals provided.
A deposit of $75 is required to reserve your spot. Limit: 15 participants.

To register and for more information:
Email Val at valzhornburg@gmail.com.

3rd Annual FAITH MOMENTS Women’s Saints & Souls Retreat

Hosted by Faith Moments and Dina Marie Hale
October 30 – November 1, 2026

This retreat features talks by Dina Marie Hale, all meals, private room/bath in the guesthouse, quiet time for prayer, optional time for spiritual direction, confession and adoration, plus join the monks in the Abbey church for Holy Eucharist and Liturgy of the Hours (Lauds, Noon Prayer, Vespers and Compline).

Dina Marie is an adult convert to Catholicism. After graduating from Lewis & Clark College with a Communications Degree in 1991, Dina Marie moved to the Oregon Coast living in Yachats and Tillamook. She entered the Catholic Church in 1999 at Sacred Heart Church in Tillamook. For 18 years Dina Marie worked full time as the morning show host and program director for Mater Dei Radio in Portland, Oregon. In 2018 she left her full-time position at Catholic Radio to become self-employed as a Catholic speaker, retreat leader, event coordinator and Catholic connector under her apostolate FAITH MOMENTS™️. Dina Marie lives in Longview, Washington with her husband Rob and is an active member of Lower Columbia Catholic in Cowlitz County.

For details and to register: www.dinamarie.org or call 503.380.2575.

Retreat includes:
• delicious meals in the dining room during your stay
• private room/bath with a stunning view of the Valley or church
• conferences with Dina Marie Hale founder of Faith Moments™️
• BEHIND THE SCENES with the monks – explore relics, Abbey hilltop, monastic life and more.
• Spiritual direction offered
• Quiet time for rest and prayer on scenic Abbey grounds
• Private confession and Adoration
• Pray daily the Divine Office and the Holy Eucharist with the monks in the Abbey church
• Pray with the monks on All Saints Day
• Pray for our deceased loved ones