1. Who can attend a Thriving in Rural Ministry retreat?
Retreats are offered for Catholic priests who are currently serving in a rural parish or anticipate doing so soon.
2. What are the upcoming dates and how do I register?
To see the upcoming retreat dates and register for a retreat, click here!
3. What does the schedule look like for the retreat?
You can view a sample retreat schedule here.
4. How much does the retreat cost?
The cost of the retreat is $700 or an amount commensurate with your budgeted retreat allowance. Covered expenses include pre-retreat assessment tools, lodging, meals, materials, and participation in post-retreat virtual cohort meetings. Transportation to the retreat center is the responsibility of each priest (or his parish or diocese).
5. Do you provide any financial assistance to come on the retreat?
Yes, through a special collaboration between CRL and Catholic Home Missions, travel and replacement expenses incurred by priests serving in mission dioceses are reimbursable up to a certain amount per diocese. This is in addition to any other support your diocese may receive from CHM.
6. What is the Hogan Assessment?
The Hogan Assessment is a leadership and personality inventory which is used across business, non-profits, and church organizations to increase awareness of how you may be viewed in your role as a leader. It is most often used in a corporate setting, but it has great value in our context as well. There are no right or wrong answers and successful leadership is a multi-faceted process, especially in the priesthood.
7. Why take a leadership inventory assessment for a spiritual retreat?
The assessment is for your edification and awareness. In the midst of your day-to-day responsibilities, you do not often have a chance to stop and look at your leadership qualities and their impact. An enhanced understanding of your leadership traits can increase your success in evangelization, communication, managing change, and forms the basis for how you approach your role as pastor.
8. Are the results of the assessment confidential?
The results of the assessment are yours. We do not share individual results with anyone, but you may share them with whomever you wish.
9. What is the Feedback Session which is scheduled before the retreat?
Because of your unique role in leadership, a member of Catholic Rural Life staff, certified in interpreting the results, will provide a feedback session before the retreat to explain your results and answer questions in the context of priestly ministry. The feedback session is intended to familiarize you with your own results before the retreat where growth in leadership will be discussed as a part of priestly ministry.
