OCA Clergy Wives Blessed by Renewal and Fellowship at Antiochian Village

Thirty-three clergy wives from eight dioceses and stavropegial institutions of the Orthodox Church in America gathered at the Antiochian Village from July 27–30 for the 2026 Office of Pastoral Life’s Clergy Wives Retreat .

Organized by Clergy Wives Ministry , the retreat carried the theme “Come Away and Rest: Blueprint for Renewal and Resilience in Our Journey with the Lord.” The gathering offered participants time away from the ordinary demands of family, parish, and professional life for prayer, reflection, fellowship, and the chance to rest in Christ.

The retreat was led by Dr. Ioana Popa of Team For The Soul® Institute, an experienced Orthodox Christian spiritual coach and theologically trained physician-psychiatrist with over twenty years of experience leading retreats.

Through presentations, journaling, contemplation, and small- and large-group conversations, Dr. Popa helped participants better understand the chronic stress many Christian women in ministry experience. Clergy wives were invited to identify practices of renewal and begin developing a personal “renewal blueprint” for living and serving in a more sustainable way.

Dr. Popa’s particular insight that taking…