Special Event: February 26-28, 2016

40-hour Lenten Retreat

In this fifteenth year of serving the University community, the St. Anselm Institute will host a special Lenten retreat for all interested faculty on the weekend of February 26-28, 2016.  Our last retreat was five years ago, so all available faculty members--especially those who are new to the University or Institute-sponsored programs--are invited and encouraged to participate as their schedules permit. For those unfamiliar with the ancient practice of momentarily retreating from one's personal and work responsibilities, the general outline of this 40-hour retreat is described below. 
 
The retreat will take place at the San Damiano Spiritual Retreat Center, located near Winchester, VA--about a 2-hour drive from Charlottesville.  The St. Anselm Institute will pay for the cost of the retreat.  The San Damiano Retreat Center has 30 private rooms and full dining capacities. To assist with these arrangements, reservations are requested as soon as a faculty member is ready to commit to attending. For those needing transportation, carpooling arrangements with other faculty will be available. 
 
Approximately half of this 40-hour retreat will be unstructured, affording each retreatant individual time to use as he or she sees fit.  The more structured portion of the retreat will include a format of group prayer, contemplation, discussion, and fellowship.  Two guest lecturers will lead guide two group sessions on Saturday morning and late afternoon. 
 
Religious Studies Professor Kevin Hart (UVA) will lecture on the topic of the history of Christian meditation and contemplation.  
 
Fr. Bruno Shah, O.P. (University of Notre Dame) will lecture on the topic of the New Evangelization.  As preparation for this session, retreatants may find it helpful to consider the themes of two background readings: Redemptoris Missio (1990) and Evangelii Gaudium (2013), especially par. 1-13, 20-24, 36-39, 46-48, 52-83, 111-134, 176-283.
 
Fr. Antoninus Niemiec, O.P. will serve as our retreat chaplain, leading us in praying the Liturgy of the Hours, offering the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and celebrating Mass with us on Saturday and Sunday.     
 
Tentative Retreat Schedule
Friday, February 26, 2016
3:00-6:00pm: Arrive and check-in at San Damiano Retreat Center 
6:30: Evening Prayer 
7:00: Dinner, with short after-dinner talk
9:30: Compline (Night Prayer)
 
Saturday, February 27, 2016
8:00-8:30am: Breakfast
9:00: Morning Prayer             
9:30-11:30: First Session: "Christian Meditation and Contemplation"
11:30: Mass
Noon: Lunch
1:00-4:00: Free time (opportunities for Confession and Adoration--location TBA)
4:00-5:30: Second Session: "The New Evangelization" 
5:30: Evening Prayer 
6:00: Dinner                           
8:00: Compline (Night Prayer)
8:30pm: Evening Reception
 
Sunday, March 29, 2009
8:00-8:30am: Breakfast
9:00: Morning Prayer
9:30: Mass 
10:30: Departure
 
Questions about the retreat? Contact:
Charles Kromkowski (Exec. Director, St. Anselm Institute): This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Joe Davis (Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture/Sociology): This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
 
Contact Numbers
San Damiano Retreat Center: 125 Old Kitchen Rd., White Post, VA 22663
Hospitality Coordinator: Heather Milam (540) 868-9220. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  
 
Additional Retreat Center Amenities
The Retreat Center, fully renovated in 2009, is located near Winchester, VA on 150 acres of beautiful Shenadoah Valley countryside.  Thirty guest rooms provide a variety of accommodation options. All 30 rooms are furnished with private baths and double beds.  The Retreat Center also includes a Library and a small fitness center. 
 
Driving Directions from Charlottesville
Take I-64 West to I-81 North.
Take Rt. 50 East exit in Winchester (away from downtown Winchester). Make an immediate right onto
522 South. After approximately 5 miles, turn left onto Rt. 642 (Armel Road). The Center will be on the left. 
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