

Join us for a retreat about the spirituality of Henri Nouwen with expert Wil Hernandez.
Henri Nouwen, one of the greatest spiritual writers of the last century, embodied soul care – in the way he cared for his own soul and the soul of others. In this retreat we will focus on how we too can engage in deep, personal soul work that will benefit us, the people we care about, and also those we seek to minister to. Through Nouwen’s rich insights and lived example, we will learn how to give careful attention to our own souls so that we can more effectively companion other souls in their spiritual journey – whether as a spiritual friend, guide, mentor, or spiritual director. Presented by Wil Hernandez.
Wil Hernandez, PhD, Obl. OSB, is an international retreat leader and author of a trilogy on Henri Nouwen plus a recent title called Mere Spirituality: The Spiritual Life According to Henri Nouwen. A trained counselor and spiritual director, he serves as the executive director of CenterQuest – an ecumenical hub for the study and practice of Christian spirituality (www.CQCenterQuest.org) which hosts a hybrid School of Spiritual Direction (SSD). Aside from leading retreats and teaching courses focusing on the spirituality of Nouwen across the U.S., Canada, and abroad all year round, he is also an active Benedictine Oblate of Saint Andrew’s Abbey in Valyermo, California. Wil just released at the beginning of this year a journal about his experience last year of being stranded for more than two months in an abbey in southern Philippines at the height of the pandemic titled Accidental Monk: A Chronicle of Struggle, Faith, and Surrender.
Suggested Reading:
Henri Nouwen and Soul Care: A Ministry of Integration is the second book in Wil’s trilogy on Nouwen originally published by Paulist Press in the U.S. This will form the thematic basis for the retreat focus. It is recommended that retreat participants read designated portions of this book (especially chapters two and three) prior to the retreat as a background preparation for our topic discussion.
Check-in begins at 3pm on Wednesday. A Welcome Session will be held at 5pm. Portions of this retreat will honor times of silence.