MEN’S OUTDOOR RETREAT
AUGUST 2-5, 2024

Beyond These Four Walls—Experiencing God in the Books of Scripture and Nature
Topic: Digital detox; Lectio divina; Wilderness; Journey
Brother Gilbert Heater, O.S.B., and Father Shawn Matthew Anderson, O.S.B.

Retreat Description:

Join Saint Vincent Retreat Program Director Father Shawn Matthew Anderson, O.S.B., and Brother Gilbert Heater, O.S.B., to experience God in Scripture and nature. In our increasingly distracted world, it is difficult to lose our way, whether that is in relation to God, others or self.  This 4 day retreat experience offers opportunities for prayer, small group discussions, and fellowship in Raccoon Creek State Park, located north of The Pavilion at Star Lake, which is near Pittsburgh.  Retreatants will be asked to leave behind their distractions and enter more deeply into God’s presence by reading and reflecting on Scripture through the ancient practice of Lectio divina.  Periods of Lectio divina will be followed by meditative hikes along various trails in Raccoon Creek State Park.

Retreat Masters:

Father Shawn Matthew Anderson, O.S.B., has been a monk of Saint Vincent Archabbey for more than 20 years. Holding a doctor of pharmacology degree, he is an associate professor of biology at Saint Vincent College, a priest for more than 15 years, and also serves as director of the Retreat Program.

Brother Gilbert Heater, O.S.B.,  has been a member of the monastic community at Saint Vincent for six years. Currently a student at Saint Vincent Seminary, he has served as socius of novices and postulants for the monastic community, sacristan and assistant master of ceremonies.

REGISTRATION INFORMATION: 

Schedule: Retreatants will meet between 3 and 5 p.m. and Raccoon Creek State Park on Friday, August 2, at a location to be sent out upon registration for this retreat.

Fee: $275

Check-In: Between 3 to 5 p.m.

Other Information: Raccoon Creek State Park is a 7,572-acre Pennsylvania state park on Raccoon Creek in Hanover and Independence townships in Beaver County, Pennsylvania. The park is about 30 miles from the city of Pittsburgh, near Hookstown. The park address is 3000 PA-18, Hookstown, PA 15050.