Being Heartened by Hope and Climbing in the Tree of Life – Both Retreats Combined (Via Zoom)

Thursday, May 19 (6:30pm) – Wednesday, May 25, 2022 (12:00 pm)

Presenters:  Sister Michaela Hedican, OSB and Shawn Colberg, PhD

Presenter Information:

Being Heartened by Hope:

“God offers us a future full of hope

and human beings are the words God uses

to tell the story of grace.”

–  Mary Catherine Hilkert, OP

Scripture holds the premiere stories of grace that teach us about embracing suffering and being heartened by hope.

This retreat will offer participants stories of Scripture as we glean how our ancestors in the faith tended chaos, confusion, loss, grief, and uncertainty. The basis of this retreat will be how they came to live in Hope.

Sister Michaela Hedican, OSB, is a member of Saint Benedict’s Monastery, St. Joseph, Minn. She made her First Profession in 1964 and Perpetual Profession in 1967. She is a graduate of the College of Saint Scholastica, Duluth, majoring in education and holds two master’s degrees; one in religious education from Seattle University, and the other in theology (Monastic Studies) from Saint John’s University School of Theology. She was a middle school/high school teacher and has served in a variety of community administrative positions. From 2003-2009, Sister Michaela served as President of the Federation of Saint Benedict and as prioress of Saint Bede Monastery from 2008, until the sisters of Saint Bede Monastery joined Saint Benedict’s Monastery in Saint Joseph, Minnesota, on August 15, 2010. On February 27, 2011, she was elected 16th prioress of the Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict at Saint Benedict’s Monastery. Sister Michaela completed her term as prioress in June 2017, and is currently Director of Oblates, as well as serving in retreat ministry and as a spiritual director. 

Climbing in the Tree of Life:

In this retreat, participants are invited to enjoy climbing in the Tree of Life, using St. Bonaventure’s text the Tree of Life to guide us. In the 13th century, St. Bonaventure meditated on the life, death and glorification of Jesus and found it very fruitful for his spiritual life. We will reflect on these events in light of our own grief, suffering and loss through our present transitions. Each day we will ascend another branch of the Tree of Life through prayer, contemplative reading and shared conversation, with opportunities to reflect on our own lives.

Shawn Colberg, PhD, is Associate Professor of Theology in the Department of Theology and Associate Dean in the School of Theology-Seminary at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University, St. Joseph/Collegeville, Minnesota. Shawn received his undergraduate degree from St. Olaf College.  He completed his M. Div. degree at the Yale School of Divinity and earned a Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame.  Prior to teaching, Shawn served as a Pastoral Associate in two parishes and worked as a Consultant for Parishes for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.  Shawn recently published a book on the spirituality and biblical commentaries of St. Bonaventure and St. Thomas Aquinas entitled The Wayfarer’s End.   He lives in St. Joseph, Minnesota, with Kristin, his spouse, who also teaches theology at St. Ben’s and St. John’s, and his two daughters Mary Clare and Catherine who are students at Cathedral High School. 

ATTENTION: Program titles containing: (Via Zoom), please read below:

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