Preached Retreats

June 21-26, 2020

Brian Pierce, OP and Megan McElroy, OP

BREAKING OPEN THE WORD GIVEN

In the context of the Liturgy of the Hours
and Eucharist, we will listen to the Word and break open it’s message for us, taking time to dive into the mystery that awaits us.  In the evening, we’ll gather to share echoes of the Word given to each participant.

Brian Pierce has ministered for 10 years in Honduras and Guatemala. From there he was called to Rome for six years —

 as the General Promoter for the Contemplative Nuns of the Order (based at Santa Sabina) He returned from Rome about 6 years ago and has been stationed at our Priory of St. Albert the Great in Irving, Texas since then doing more or less the following:

  • Itinerant preaching
  • quite a bit of jail and prison ministry
  • and teaching pastoral workshops each Spring semester for the Hispanic community.

 

Megan McElroy joined the Dominican Sisters of Grand Rapids in 1988.  Having served previously as a pastoral associate in Michigan, a high school theology teacher in Illinois, and as Co-Director of the Collaborative Dominican Novitiate in St. Louis, Missouri, she now serves on her congregation’s leadership team.  Megan received her DMin in Preaching from Aquinas Institute of Theology in 2017.

 

 

 

 

 

May 23-29, 2021

 

Sr. Melannie Svoboda has been a Sister of Notre Dame of Chardon, OH for over 50 years. During that time she has served as a high school and college teacher, novice director, and provincial (president) of her congregation. She also ministered in the Jesuit novitiate in De-troit for six years. Currently she writes and gives talks and retreats nationally. A free-lance writer, her articles have appeared in numerous

publications including America, Catholic Digest, National Catholic Reporter, Liguorian, Living Faith, Review for Religious, and Country Woman.  She is also the author of thirteen books including Traits of a Healthy Spirituality; When the Rain Speaks: Celebrating God’s Presence in Nature; With the Dawn Rejoicing: A Christian Perspective on Pain and Suffering; Just Because; When the Blue Heron Flies; The Lord Is My Shepherd (Twenty-Third Publications); and Gracious Goodness (Loyola Press) and Gospels on the Go (NCEA). Her favorite pastimes include walking, reading, listening to music, conversing with friends, working crossword and sudoku puzzles, playing Scrabble, and cheering on her beloved Cleveland teams.