“Searching for Mary Magdalene” is a week-long retreat wherein Mary Magdalene speaks in her first person voice, inviting us to examine what we know about her, while simultaneously expecting surprises about her long being a “miscast outcast'”.

You can look forward to challenges throughout a multi-sensory search via: a Magdala Art Gallery, Magdala hometown Archaeology reports, the four canonical Gospels, the non-canonical Gospel of Mary (Magdalene), the Golden Legend, a Magdala musical oratorio, an opera and popular song, poetry, prayers, two Magdala videos, an extensive bibliography and extra resources for future study. Each guest will also receive a spiral-bound Magdala handbook.

This is a women’s retreat, presented by Mary Ellen O’Dea, OP. Check-in begins at 3pm and the retreat will begin after dinner. 

Sr. Mary Ellen O’Dea is a Dominican Sister of Sinsinawa and life-long student of the scriptures. Her ministries have included teacher, principal, director of religious education, founder of family faith programs, coordinator of small faith communities in parishes and at universities, creator of feminist biblical interpretation studies, university campus chaplain, founder of The Magdala Project (a hands-on preaching empowerment process), spirituality coordinator, preacher and retreat facilitator in feminist biblical interpretation mode throughout the United States. Sr. Mary Ellen holds Master’s Degrees in Religious Education, in Adult Christian Community Development, in University Ministry and in Biblical Spirituality.