Ignatian Retreat
With Jesuit Father Rob McChesney, S.J., Dr. Gerry Crete, Kristin Austin and Martina O’Shea
November 10 - 12, 2023
This Ignatian weekend retreat has been developed for adult men who are survivors of clergy abuse. You will be invited to look for and find the God of your understanding: in the beauty of creation, the individuals who mirror loving kindness to you, and in your own goodness. You may discover an invitation to be open to deeper healing, to be reconciled with yourself, God, and others, to grow in freedom and in friendship with the God of Peace.
There will be time for praying with Scripture and your daily experiences while engaging your senses, imaginations, thoughts, and feelings. Some of these ways of praying may be new to you, so our experienced Ignatian retreat team will guide you and invite you to participate as you are comfortable doing. Twenty-minute talks by a member of the retreat team along with individual silent reflection will introduce each of the five sessions.
Daily Mass, morning and evening prayer, reception of the Sacraments of the Anointing of the Sick and Reconciliation will be made available throughout the weekend.
We encourage each retreatant to honor what their bodies are telling them and engage in appropriate self-care. Social workers and psychologists trained in trauma recovery, priests, and spiritual directors will be available for individual confidential conversations.
Scholarships are available for survivors of abuse by clergy or others with authority in the Catholic Church.
If you are a survivor of abuse by clergy or another person in a position of authority in the Catholic Church and wish to attend free thanks to this scholarship, please call our front office to register by phone. All calls and registrations are confidential.
About the Leaders
Jesuit Father Rob McChesney, S.J.
Jesuit Father Rob McChesney, S.J., is an experienced trauma-informed leader of Ignatian retreats, spiritual guide, and pastoral counselor. For forty years he has accompanied casualties of violence, including war refugees, military veterans, and survivors of sexual abuse. He has published with Oxford University Press and in the British Jesuit journal of Christian spirituality, The Way, and […]
Learn more about Jesuit Father Rob McChesney, S.J.
Dr. Gerry Crete
Dr. Gerry Crete is a marriage and family therapist who specializes in the treatment of trauma and anxiety disorders. His doctoral research focused on counseling interventions for male survivors of childhood sexual trauma. Dr. Crete founded Transfiguration Counseling and Coaching and co-founded the online mental health resource Souls and Hearts.
Learn more about Dr. Gerry Crete
Kristin Austin
Kristin Austin is a licensed clinical social worker and certified trauma professional who has accompanied clergy abuse survivors for 14 years. She has presented at national conferences on the care of victim-survivors for years, as well as written an article on the same. Kristin finds peace in the wonderment of nature, family, animals, and sitting […]
Learn more about Kristin Austin
Martina O’Shea
Martina O’Shea is a lay married woman who is privileged to accompany men and women as they discover where the Divine can to be found in the midst of the traumas and joys of daily life. She is a trained Ignatian spiritual director and has advanced degrees in Mental Health Counseling and Neurobiology.
Learn more about Martina O’SheaCategories : In Person, Priests, Trauma, Weekend