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Registration closes Tuesday, September 1, for four-day gathering centered on prayer, fraternity and long-term flourishing in pastoral ministry.
The Orthodox Church in America’s Office of Pastoral Life is inviting bishops and priests from across the Church to participate in its 2026 Pastoral Retreat, a four-day gathering dedicated to prayer, fellowship and pastoral renewal. Registration closes Tuesday, September 1, 2026.
The retreat will be held September 29 – October 2 at the University of Saint Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, IL. Centered on the theme, “The Fields Are Ripe for the Harvest,” the gathering will provide priests an opportunity to step away from the daily demands of parish ministry to pray together, deepen their bonds of fraternity and reflect on the vocation Christ has entrusted to them. Through keynote presentations, discussion, shared liturgical life, and rest, the retreat is designed to strengthen the spiritual resilience and long-term flourishing needed for faithful pastoral ministry.
“Healthy parishes are built on healthy clergy,” said Archpriest Nicholas Solak, director of the Office of Pastoral Life. “This retreat offers priests the opportunity to step away from the demands of ministry, pray alongside their brothers, strengthen the relationships that sustain them and return to their parishes with renewed joy, resilience and hope for the work Christ has entrusted to them.”
The retreat’s featured speakers will be Mother Christophora, abbess of Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Ellwood City, PA, and Archpriest John Parker, dean of Saint Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in South Canaan, PA. Drawing on decades of experience in monastic and pastoral formation, they will explore the retreat theme through the rich spiritual tradition of the Orthodox Church while offering practical wisdom for sustaining a lifetime of faithful ministry.
Nearly 120 bishops and priests from across the Orthodox Church in America participated in the Office of Pastoral Life’s 2023 Pastoral Retreat, underscoring the growing desire among clergy for opportunities to pray together, strengthen relationships and encourage one another in ministry.
As clergy continue to navigate the spiritual, emotional and practical demands of parish leadership, the retreat reflects the Office of Pastoral Life’s ongoing commitment to supporting healthy clergy families and healthy parishes throughout the Church.
A highlight of this year’s retreat will be the celebration of the Divine Liturgy for the Feast of the Protection of the Mother of God at New Gracanica Monastery on Thursday, Oct. 1. Celebrating one of the Church’s most beloved feasts in this sacred setting will provide participants with a profound expression of the retreat’s emphasis on worship, priestly fraternity and spiritual renewal.
Clergy planning to attend are encouraged to register before the Tuesday, September 1 deadline, which enables the Office of Pastoral Life and the retreat center to finalize lodging, meals and program arrangements.
Click here for registration information, fees and additional retreat details
About the Office of Pastoral Life
The Orthodox Church in America’s Office of Pastoral Life supports the well-being of clergy and their families, the foundation of parish life across North America. Believing the health of the Church is inseparable from the health of her clergy, the Office offers programs that build resilience, connection and pastoral joy. Programs include Thriving in Ministry peer-learning groups, Financial Health Initiatives, quarterly Synaxis Gatherings, retreats and Clergy Wives Ministry. In partnership with bishops, dioceses, parishes and generous donors, the Office of Pastoral Life helps create sustainable conditions in which priests, deacons and their families throughout the Orthodox Church in America can flourish spiritually, vocationally and personally through every season of parish ministry.
