Archbishop of Chicago Welcomes National Clergy Retreat to Diocese

SPRINGFIELD, VA [OCA] – The Orthodox Church in America’s  Office of Pastoral Life  is inviting bishops and priests from across the Church to participate in its 2026 Pastoral Retreat, a four-day gathering dedicated to prayer, fellowship and pastoral renewal. Registration closes Tuesday, September 1, 2026.

The retreat will be held September 29 – October 2 at the University of Saint Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, IL. Centered on the theme, “The Fields Are Ripe for the Harvest,” the gathering will provide priests an opportunity to step away from the daily demands of parish ministry to pray together, deepen their bonds of fraternity and reflect on the vocation Christ has entrusted to them. Through keynote presentations, discussion, shared liturgical life, and rest, the retreat is designed to strengthen the spiritual resilience and long-term flourishing needed for faithful pastoral ministry.

“Healthy parishes are built on healthy clergy,” said Archpriest Nicholas Solak, director of the Office of Pastoral Life. “This retreat offers priests the opportunity to step away from the demands of ministry, pray alongside their brothers, strengthen the relationships that sustain them and…