Institute for Priests and Presbyterates
Our Facilities
View the Institute's facilities in St. Bede Hall, including overnight accommodations, conference room, teaching kitchen, living room and offices.
Pre-Retirement Workshop for Priests
Encore Priests is a workshop for priests in their 60s or approaching retirement.
For priests at midlife, Saint Meinrad offers an integrated four-week sabbatical program to help you rest, reflect and reinvigorate your spiritual life, update and expand your theological intellect, and renew your fire for pastoral ministry.
The Directory on the Ministry and Life of Priests (1994) notes:
"[Priests] need encouragement, genuine appreciation, a new deepening in all aspects of formation with the purpose of examining their actions, and a re-awakening of the motivation underlying the sacred ministry.
They also need to reflect on: pastoral methods in light of essentials, the communion among priests of the presbyterate, friendship with the Bishop, surmounting any sense of exhaustion, frustration and solitude and, finally, rediscovering the font of priestly spirituality" (no. 94).
"Stoking the Fire" Mini-Sabbatical is the Institute for Priests and Presbyterates' program of ongoing formation for priests at midlife, providing participants a time to rest and be renewed.
Reflect on experiences of transitions in this stage of life and ministry
Short daily readings and prayer meditations on aspects of midlife
Availability of counselor and spiritual director
Health professional consultation; diet and exercise choices
Reflections on scripture and pastoral leadership
Theological updates
Creation of a personal growth plan moving forward from the mini-sabbatical
Optional weekend outing
Located among the peaceful rolling hills of southern Indiana, Saint Meinrad Archabbey is a community of Benedictine monks that has remained faithful to its commitment to daily Mass and prayer since its founding in 1854. The seminary has been educating men for priesthood nearly as long.
Private room and bath facilities with full-size bed
WiFi Internet access
Fully equipped weight room and cardio exercise facility
Library and video borrowing privileges
Satellite TV and DVD player
Nearby sports and leisure activities
Opportunities for communal prayer with monastic community
Daily Mass, reflection and prayer with fellow priests
Counselors, confessors, spiritual directors
Options for nearby outings and dining
July 11 – August 6, 2022
Program fees are $4,000.
A $250 application fee is due with the application. If the applicant is accepted, the $250 fee is nonrefundable and is applied to the balance. The fee is fully refunded to any applicant not accepted into the program.
Limited need-based financial aid is available.
A blood panel review with a health professional is offered within the sabbatical. The blood draw can be performed at Saint Meinrad's Health Service.
Optional round-trip airport shuttle to and from the Louisville, KY, airport (SDF) is available for $50.
Overnight accommodations and meals before and after the dates of the sabbatical, if available, are in addition to the cost of the sabbatical. Call to check for availability and pricing.
The Institute for Priests and Presbyterates is able to offer workshops and programs at a lower cost due to the generosity of many benefactors. The actual cost per participant for the Stoking the Fire mini-sabbatical is considerably higher than the amount charged. Limited financial aid is available for those needing assistance.
Click for Downloadable Registration Form
Click for Downloadable Registration Form & Financial Aid Application