Praise of Glory
Priest and Seminarian Silent Retreat
Desire to renew the gift of spiritual fatherhood that the Father has blessed you with in Christ? Withdraw from the world and enter into great silence in the Carmelite tradition for twenty-four days with meditations composed by St. Elisabeth of the Trinity. The retreat includes Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, opportunties for confession, daily conferences, daily meetings with the retreat master, daily spiritual exercises, a booklet for journalling with meditations drawn from “Heaven in Faith” and "Last Retreat" in her complete works, and ample silence for prayer.
Dr. Anthony Lilles
Anthony Lilles has taught graduate level theology and assisted in clergy formation since 1994, having served at St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary in Denver, St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver, and St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo prior to joining the faculty of St. Patrick’s Seminary. With a BA in theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville, as well as an ecclesiastical licentiate and doctorate in spiritual theology from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome (the Angelicum), he is specialized in St. Elisabeth of the Trinity and the Carmelite Doctors of the Church. He co-founded the Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation and the High Calling Program for priestly vocations. He also founded and serves as president for the John Paul II Center for Contemplative Culture. From 2024 through 2027, he will be committed to a new initiative for priestly renewal jointly sponsored by St. Patrick’s Seminary and the High Calling program of the Avila Foundation. He blogs at Spiritual Direction and podcasts at Discerning Hearts.
Practical Expectations
 
Daily Structure 
The basic structure of the day consists of the three meals, plus the Celebration of the Eucharist before lunch and a couple hours of optional adoration in the evening after dinner.  This allows for plenty of personal time for prayer.  In addition, you will meet with your director daily, during which time you can review the previous day’s experiences, and go over the content for the upcoming day.   
 
Silence
Silence alone powerfully opens the soul to the movements of God.  We ask that retreatants keep exterior silence for their own benefit and to respect others.  We also encourage retreatants to keep interior silence by disconnecting from the noise of the world and unplugging from electronic devices for the duration of the retreat.  Keeping silence may sound daunting, but you will be in an interior dialogue with the Lord.  Note: complete silence cannot be guaranteed, especially during weekdays.
 
Meals
Healthy and balanced meals will be provided, and coffee, tea, fruit and snacks will be available throughout the retreat.  Breakfast will be in silence and each one can come and go on their own.  During lunch we listen to an audio book on themes of the spiritual life or on the life of a saint.  At dinner we listen to appropriate classical music.   
 
Schedule
The regular schedule is as follows: 8:00 breakfast, 11:30 Celebration of the Eucharist, followed by lunch, 6:00 dinner, 7:00 adoration, 9:00 night prayer and benediction. 
 
What to bring
You will have a private bedroom with an ensuite bathroom.  Linens, towels, hair dryers, as well as basic toiletries such as soap, shampoo, conditioner, and moisturizer are provided.  You will want to bring other personal toiletries and medications, comfortable clothes, and footwear for walking if you desire.  Notebooks and pens will be provided; bring your bible and rosary.   
  
For more information on facilities and meals, see our facilities page.