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Online
​Priest Retreat

2021 Online Priest Retreat

The “Secret Prayers” of the Priest:
Praying over a Pandemic Year through the Eucharist

Monday, May 17 to Friday, May 21, 2021 9:00 am to 11:30 am
In your rectory via Zoom
Retreat Master: Very Reverend Stefano Penna of the Diocese of Saskatoon

All priests are asked to devote their mornings of this week to silence and prayer as the observance of the annual retreat. Ministerial work may be carried out in the afternoons.
  • Bishop McGrattan encourages the parish daily Mass to be celebrated at 12:00 pm or later in the day such as in the evening during these days of retreat.
  • If funeral Masses take place in the morning, you are excused from the morning retreat and will be encouraged to view the recorded video of the sessions at a later time.
  • Parish offices that are attached to rectories may be closed in the mornings to allow for a more prayerful environment during this week of retreat. Office hours can shift to the afternoons.

Do you remember the beginning of this annus horribilis? Celebrating the Easter mysteries with a few people in Church. Scrambling to find ways to render virtual that which is essentially incarnational – the Eucharist. Worrying about pastoral care and meeting payroll. Who can forget the Holy Father’s solitary Urbi et Orbi prayer for the end of the pandemic? His words still challenge: “We find ourselves afraid and lost in this time to choose what matters and what passes away, a time to separate what is necessary from what is not. It’s a time to get our lives back on track with regard to you, Lord, and to others,” And so it goes on month after month. Even the most introvert of us priests have been stretched thin by the dual experience of isolation from our people and still bearing the burden of their stress. As in all times of challenge, the best and the worst of people emerged: politics and medicine divided our communities. And what about each of us?

In this Retreat we will support each other as every morning we reflect on the challenge of the Holy Father’s solitary Urbi et Orbi prayer for the end of the pandemic: “We find ourselves afraid and lost in this time to choose what matters and what passes away, a time to separate what is necessary from what is not. It’s a time to get our lives back on track with regard to you, Lord, and to others.”

Yet as for all our lives, the one constant for us has been the Holy Eucharist. I propose that we spend some time praying with the “secret prayers” – all the prayers that the Missal provides the instruction “the Priest says quietly”. These prayers open up for us a place of quiet intimacy even in that most public of our praying – might they not open up for us an intimate encounter with all the secret challenges that have emerged in our lives? Even more deeply, these “secret prayers” may be an occasion for us who are “afraid and lost” to hear Jesus once again say, “Do not be afraid, it is I”.
Day One: Monday, May 17, 2021 at 9:00 am
Being out of Rhythm with the Rhythm of our Priestly lives – Chaos and Anger
  • The Prayers Before Mass
  • Prayers after Mass
prayer_year_of_st_joseph_2021_simple.pdf
File Size: 460 kb
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vesting_prayers.pdf
File Size: 508 kb
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priestly_prayers_before_and_after_mass.pdf
File Size: 669 kb
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prayers_at_the_foot_of_the_altar_-_psalm_42.pdf
File Size: 405 kb
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​Day Two: Tuesday, May 18, 2021 at 9:00 am
Preaching the Word after YouTube showed up
  • “Cleanse my heart and my lips, almighty God, that I may worthily proclaim your holy Gospel.
  • “Through the words of the Gospel may our sins be wiped away.”
day_two_readings_and_reflections.pdf
File Size: 374 kb
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Day Three: Wednesday, May 19, 2021 at 9:00 am
My humanity and the humanity of the Church – priesthood under a microscope
  • “By the mystery of this water and wine may we come to share in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share in our humanity”
  • ​“With humble spirit and contrite heart may we be accepted by you, O Lord, and may our sacrifice in your sight this day be pleasing to you, Lord God.”
  • ​“Wash me, O Lord, from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.” 
day_three_readings_and_reflections.pdf
File Size: 487 kb
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novena_of_surrender_to_jesus_christ_-_fr._scott_surrency_intro.pdf
File Size: 417 kb
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Day Four: Thursday, May 20, 2021 at 9:00 am
My humanity and the humanity of the Church – marginalized living on the margins
  • “May this mingling of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ bring eternal life to us who receive it.”
  • “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, who, by the will of the Father and the work of the Holy Spirit, through your Death gave life to the world, free me by this, your most holy Body and Blood, from all my sins and from every evil; keep me always faithful to your commandments, and never let me be parted from you.”
  • “May the receiving of your Body and Blood, Lord Jesus Christ, not bring me to judgment and condemnation, but through your loving mercy be for me protection in mind and body and a healing remedy.”
Day Five: Friday, May 21, 2021 at 9:00 am
The Priest’s daily bread: Eternal Life – Tasting the Lord anew
  • “May the Body of Christ keep me safe for eternal life”
  • “May the Blood of Christ keep me safe for eternal life”
  • “What has passed our lips as food, O Lord, may we possess in purity of heart,
  • that what has been given to us in time may be our healing for eternity”.
day_five_-_reflections_and_readings.pdf
File Size: 674 kb
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Fr. Stefano Penna
Born and raised in Saskatoon – Fr. Stephen Penna is a priest of the Diocese of Saskatoon Canada since 1986 - 35 blessed years! Sent to pursue higher studies he received graduate degrees in philosophy and theology from The Toronto School of Theology, the Gregorian University in Rome and Yale University and then he was “loaned” to the Archdiocese of Edmonton. After working with undergraduates and teachers at St. Joseph College at the University of Alberta he moved to administrative, development, and professorial work as Dean of Theology and Vice-President at Newman Theological College, as well as heading Newman's Benedict XVI Institute for the New Evangelization. His work
in stewardship and development led him to found Vocatus – a movement for spiritual formation for business leaders. His work on critical issues arising from engaging contemporary culture has led him to travel extensively across North America as lecturer,
workshop facilitator, consultant, retreat master, mission preacher and animator of Catholic communities. Called back by Bishop Mark Hagemoen, Fr. Penna is thrilled to be the Rector of St. Paul’s Co-Cathedral and formator of teachers and administrators of Greater Saskatoon
Catholic Schools. He also is the national chaplain for the Canadian Catholic School Trustees. His particular loves are his parents (still witnessing faithfully), nephews and nieces (twelve), grand-nephews and nieces (five), gardening, and pasta. His greatest joy? Serving the Eucharistic Lord as Priest.
​
Follow Father on social media: 
YouTube channel Fr. Stefano Penna
Twitter @frspenna

Start Your Day Right

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Prayer

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Caffeine

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Exercise

2020: A Self-Directed Retreat

The suggested horarium provides the presbyterate a sense of unity in our manner and schedule of prayer. May the time we carve out for prayer and reflection this week be a source of renewal not only individually but also as the presbyterate of the Diocese of Calgary.
​Monday, May 25, 2020
9:45 am       Morning Prayer
10:00 am    Divine Filiation: Introduction (schedule-books); Father of Mercy (Ch. 1)
11:00 am     Mass

​3:00 pm       Divine Filiation: ​Father of Mercy (Ch. 1) Cont’d
​4:00 pm.      Holy Hour
5:00 pm.      Evening Prayer

Tuesday, May 26, 2020
9:45 am       Morning Prayer
10:00 am    Divine Filiation: Substitution of Christ (Ch. 2)
11:00 am     Mass

​3:00 pm      Divine Filiation: ​Holy Spirit & Divine Indwelling (Chs. 3 & 4)
​4:00 pm      Holy Hour

5:00 pm      Evening Prayer

Wednesday, May 27, 2020
9:45 am       Morning Prayer
10:00 am    Divine Filiation: Christ’s Human Life (Ch. 5) & Human Virtues (Ch. 9)
11:00 am     Mass

​3:00 pm      Divine Filiation: ​Christ’s Divine Life (Ch. 6) & Peace of Heart and Abandonment (Ch. 10)
​4:00 pm      Holy Hour

5:00 pm      Evening Prayer

Thursday, May 28, 2020
9:45 am       Morning Prayer
10:00 am    Divine Filiation: Church & Mary (Ch. 7)
11:00 am     Mass

​3:00 pm      Divine Filiation: Holy Eucharist (Ch. 8) & Starting Anew from Christ: Cosmic Liturgy (III: Ch. 9)
​4:00 pm      Holy Hour

5:00 pm      Evening Prayer

Friday, May 29, 2020
9:45 am       Morning Prayer
10:00 am    Divine Filiation: Joy (Ch. 11)
11:00 am     Mass

NOTE: In case you noticed that Conference 9 is missing from the series, it is because Fr. Anang was not feeling well for that session and Conference 9 was merely an announcement video from a faculty member of St. Augustine Seminary.

​3:00 pm     Starting Anew from Christ: Sanctification for Ministry (III: Ch. 5), Saints (III: Ch. 1), & Priestly Configuration: Carmelite Stages of Interior Life (II: Ch. 5)
​4:00 pm      Holy Hour

5:00 pm      Evening Prayer
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Click on the image to view the Bishop's Pastoral Letter to the Presbyterate on Spiritual Renewal.

The Retreat Master 

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Reverend Charles Anang 
Fr. Charles is an Associate Professor of Dogmatic Theology within the Toronto School of Theology at the University of Toronto. He is also the Director of Spiritual Formation at St. Augustine’s Seminary since 2000. His primary work has been devoted to spiritual direction and retreats for priests, religious and the laity. He has authored three book in a series: New Christ: Divine Filiation, New Christ: Priestly Configuration and New Evangelization: Starting Anew from Christ.​
  • Ordained 1991
  • B.Sc. (University of Toronto)
  • M.Div. (University of Toronto & St. Augustine’s)
  • S.T.B. (Saint Paul University) 
  • S.T.L., S.T.D. (Gregorianum)

A generous benefactor from Ontario has offered to provide each priest with the three-volume set of Fr. Anang's writings. However, we cannot be assured that the books will arrive in time for this virtual retreat.

​Digital versions are available for download below as an ePub version and as PDF files.


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divine_filiation-_epub.epub
File Size: 7435 kb
File Type: epub
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divine_filiation.pdf
File Size: 1857 kb
File Type: pdf
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priestly_configuration-_epub.epub
File Size: 6561 kb
File Type: epub
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priestly_configuration.pdf
File Size: 2024 kb
File Type: pdf
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new_evangelization-_epub.epub
File Size: 6245 kb
File Type: epub
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new_evangelization.pdf
File Size: 1836 kb
File Type: pdf
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Resources

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Click on the image to read the collection of prayers for times of trial.

Examination of Conscience for Priests

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