PROGRAMS
To foster opportunities for priestly fraternity, support and spiritual renewal, the initiative brings together dedicated ecclesial experts, professionals, scholars, and spiritual masters to provide meaningful and affordable retreats, pilgrimages, conferences, and symposiums.
Pilgrimages
Priest pilgrims are invited to take up adventures of priestly fraternity and prayer punctuated with daily liturgical celebrations in beautiful and historical shrines along ancient routes of faith. Traveling at the pace of prayer, spiritual conferences, theological discussions as well as ample time for quiet reflection aim at a deeper devotion to Christ and a renewed sense of mission in the Church.
Retreats
These five day silent retreats are geared to rekindling the gift of the priestly vocation through a rediscovery of contemplative prayer, inner healing and meditations on spiritual fatherhood in the Church today. Retreat centers are chosen on the basis of their prayerful atmosphere and the beauty of their location. Each day includes mass, a spiritual conference, opportunities for confession or spiritual direction in the afternoon, Eucharistic exposition, with conversation and fellowship at dinner.
Confessor’s Institute
To address developing pastoral, canonical, legal, moral and spiritual issues, the Saint John Vianny Confessor’s Institute is a five day conference that brings together experts from various fields to provide conferences and discussions geared to the renewal of the art of hearing confession. Morning conferences followed by afternoon workshops are meant to inspire new pastoral strategies for dealing with the emerging needs of the faithful regarding penance, reconciliation, healing and best practices. After dinner informal conversations are meant to deepen fraternity and to foster new collaborative initiatives. The Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours frame each day in prayer with opportunities for mental prayer, confession, spiritual direction and counseling for participants.
Symposium
Three day symposiums for Christian Formation are hosted by seminaries with scholars and experts of various fields offering inspiriting lectures, formal discussions and informal conversations directed to the renewal of Christian formation in seminaries and parishes. The purpose is networking, gaining insight, strategizing with other priests and ecclesial leaders to better respond to the new ways that the Holy Spirit is working in the life of the Church to build up the ministry and the people of God.
Ongoing Education Courses
Three four week courses on the mystical tradition of the Church offer priests an opportunity to research and discuss spiritual doctrine and practices from the standpoint of a kneeling theology, that is an approach rooted in an encounter with Christ that renews the mind. By bringing together mystical and theological wisdom in these lectures, participants will have an opportunity deepen their own life of prayer, become more familiar with the wisdom of the saints, and enhance the arts of preaching and teaching in their ministry.
Spiritual Direction Program for Priests
The High Calling program offers training for priests who wish to work with their vocations directors on promoting priestly vocations among those men who are interested in applying to seminary. Those interested in this year long program that includes a retreat and online course work should consult with their vocations directors for referral to the program to make application.
High Calling Program
Avila Institute’s High Calling Program partners with dioceses across the country to offer integral formation in philosophy, theology, prayer and discernment for men who are discerning a call to the priesthood.