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To: Priests
From: Monsignor James Schillinger, Director, Ongoing Formation of Priests
As your calendar continues to fill up with various commitments, please remember the dates for our 2019 Priests’ Retreat. It will once again be held at Brasstown Valley Resort in Young Harris, Georgia from Monday, September 16 thru Friday, September 20. Abbot Justin Brown, O.S.B. from St. Joseph Abbey in Covington, Louisiana has accepted our invitation to serve as our retreat director. Additional information and registration materials will be sent at a later date.
Having received many inquiries about retreats, please note our diocesan policy and practices. As you know, Church law requires every priest to make an annual retreat. Costs associated with the canonical retreat are the responsibility of the parish/ministry of the individual priest. Currently, the annual allowance for each priest is not to exceed $800. This funding must be included in all parish and ministry budgets.
Every second year, the archdiocese offers a retreat for priests that may serve as your canonical retreat. All priests serving in the archdiocese (diocesan and religious) are invited and encouraged to attend. As a longstanding tradition in our presbyterate, the retreat has always been a great opportunity for renewing priestly fraternity and cultivating unity and essential elements for an effective ministry. Priests ordained for the Archdiocese of Atlanta who are in their first five years of ministry are expected to attend the diocesan retreat, as it provides an excellent opportunity to get to know their brother priests.
As always, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or if I can assist you in any way. My cell number is 404-931-7913.
Thank you.