85 Clergy Registered for Office of Pastoral Life Pastoral Retreat; September 1 Deadline Nears

Eighty-five clergy have now registered for the 2026 Office of Pastoral Life Pastoral Retreat, as priests and bishops from across the Orthodox Church in America prepare to gather September 29–October 2 at the University of Saint Mary of the Lake Conference Center in Mundelein, IL.

The registration deadline is Tuesday, September 1 , and clergy who are planning to attend are encouraged to register soon.

This year’s retreat, “The Fields Are Ripe for the Harvest,” will offer clergy several days set apart from the ordinary demands of parish ministry for prayer, fellowship, conversation, and reflection on the work of the Church.

The retreat will feature Mother Christophora, Abbess of Holy Transfiguration Monastery , and Archpriest John Parker, Dean of St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary , who will lead participants in reflection on the opportunities and challenges of faithful pastoral ministry today.

A highlight of the gathering will be the celebration of the Divine Liturgy for the Feast of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos on October 1 at the New Gracanica Monastery in Third Lake, IL. The retreat schedule will also include morning and evening prayer, shared meals,…