Retreat for Artists & Lovers of Beauty

Prayer and the Artist: Learning to Pray and Discern with
St. Teresa of Ávila and Flannery O’Connor

June 5 - 7, 2026

A three-day spiritual retreat exploring prayer, discernment, and the creative vocation through the wisdom 

of St. Teresa of Ávila and the witness of Flannery O’Connor.

Sponsored By 

Canning Liturgical Arts

Artefusion Creativa Studios

Angela Kuhlmann Coaching

Come spend three days with Christ and fellow artists in prayer, reflection, and community at the beautiful St. Mary’s Seminary in Roland Park, Baltimore. This historic seminary will provide our accommodations, prayer spaces, and conference facilities, offering a peaceful setting ideal for spiritual renewal and creative reflection. Guest rooms are newly renovated with queen beds and en suite bathrooms (see information below for more details and photos).

This year’s retreat will explore the profound spiritual wisdom of St. Teresa of Ávila, whose vivid metaphors of the interior life offer powerful guidance for artists seeking to deepen their prayer and discern their vocation. We will also reflect on the spiritual journey of Flannery O’Connor, one of the great Catholic writers of the modern era, drawing insights from her Prayer Journal and including a screening of the film Wildcat.

Throughout the weekend there will be generous time for prayer, reflection, spiritual direction, Eucharistic adoration, and conversation with fellow artists, all ordered toward helping participants grow in their relationship with God and discern how their creative gifts may be offered in His service.

Participants are invited to bring a sample of their work to share with fellow artists or display during the retreat. Together we will reflect on the role of beauty, imagination, and creative work within the life of faith.

The retreat will feature thoughtful presentations by fellow artists, with a special focus on methods of prayer particularly suited to the creative vocation, inspired by the teachings of St. Teresa of Ávila and the spiritual insights found in Flannery O’Connor’s writings.

The weekend will include Holy Mass celebrated with beautiful polyphonic choral music, opportunities for confession, Eucharistic adoration, and spiritual direction, and time for quiet contemplation within the peaceful surroundings of the seminary.

This retreat is open to creators of all disciplines—including fine artists, designers, photographers, architects, writers, musicians, singers, but professional or amateur, and those studying or working in creative fields. It is also open to members of the faithful who love beauty and wish to spend time immersed in prayer, reflection, and the fellowship of artists.

Whether you are seeking deeper prayer, spiritual discernment, or simply time to step away from the demands of creative work, this retreat offers a rare opportunity to renew your vocation to holiness through the gift of creativity.

What You’ll Experience

• Guided reflections on prayer and the creative vocation through the spiritual wisdom of St. Teresa of Ávila and the witness of Flannery O’Connor
• Holy Mass celebrated with beautiful polyphonic sacred music, fostering contemplation through the Church’s artistic tradition
• Eucharistic Adoration, Confession, and opportunities for spiritual direction, offering time to deepen your relationship with Christ
• Thoughtful presentations and discussions with fellow artists, exploring how prayer informs and sustains creative work
• Quiet time for personal prayer, reflection, and discernment within the peaceful setting of St. Mary’s Seminary
• An opportunity to share a sample of your work and reflect together on the role of beauty in the life of faith
• A community of artists and lovers of beauty seeking to renew their vocation through prayer, creativity, and fellowship

Barbara Nicolosi PhD is an award-winning writer, speaker, professor and producer, Dr. Barbara Nicolosi has spoken at hundreds of conferences, universities, and churches. She is the featured host on the Mystagogy podcast. She has also given retreats for parish ministers. With 23 years of experience working in Hollywood as a writer and producer, Dr. Nicolosi speaks about the intersection of faith and culture, the role of art and beauty in the Church and world, and how to engage the secular mainstream with Gospel themes. She is a Great Books professor and former member of a religious community, speaking regularly on the topics of literature and philosophy the importance of friendship, various aspects of prayer and spirituality, the history and social importance of story and art, and how the Church can more effectively find a voice in the marketplace of ideas.

Dr. Nicolosi is founder of the Write Spirit creative writing program of the Catholic Art Institute. A member of the Writers Guild of America-West she has written screenplays for several Hollywood production companies including Fatima (2020), directed by Marco Pontecorvo and starring Harvey Keitel and Sonia Braga. 

Barbara has a doctorate in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University in the UK, a Masters in Film & Television from Northwestern University, and a B.A. from the Great Books program at Magdalen College. She has taught at the university level for twenty years. She has been a script analyst, production company executive, and consultant on scores of entertainment projects including the features The Passion of the Christ and TV shows Joan of Arcadia (CBS) and Saving Grace (TNT). 

Barbara has delivered hundreds of addresses all over the world including at the Vatican and for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. 

Barbara has been a grants panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts, and a reader for the Humanitas Prize which has been called the Pulitzer of screenwriting. For more, visit https://mystagogy.net/

Fr. Andrew Barth IVE Father Andy Barth grew up in the California Bay Area. Little by little, hiking with his father in the oak-studded hills of the South Bay awakened his love of visual beauty, and his adolescent years saw the first real kindling of his faith as he attended Mass and confirmation preparation at the parish of Our Lady of Peace in Santa Clara, where he also met the priests and sisters of the Institute of the Incarnate Word.

He attended John Paul the Great Catholic University, where he earned his bachelor of science in communications with an emphasis in game development in 2015. At the same time, he studied art foundations under Ron and Vanessa Lemen at Park Blvd Studio in San Diego. After a brief and clarifying stint of freelancing in the entertainment industry, he entered the Institute of the Incarnate Word in 2016.
He received his formation for religious life and priestly ministry at the Fulton Sheen House of Formation in Chillum, Maryland. During formation, he was encouraged to continue painting and to immerse himself in the Church’s rich treasury of liturgical art. Slowly, his predilection for Bougereau was purified into a preference for Guercino, and he became a trifle snobbish in his opinions about the virtues of lead white.

He made his perpetual vows in 2024, and was ordained to the priesthood on February 7th, 2026. He is currently stationed at Our Lady of Peace in Santa Clara, the same church that planted the seeds of his faith and his vocation. Most of his time is spent writing homilies and hearing confessions, but he occasionally finds a moment to chip away at sacred art projects and take his pochade box out to the golden regions of the Santa Clara valley.

Kathleen Carr is the President and Founder of the Catholic Art Institute. She a classically trained painter, multimedia designer and graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. In academia, Ms. Carr served as Deputy Chair and Professor of Design and Illustration at the Corcoran College of Art & Design in Washington DC.

Her paintings have been recognized by the National Portrait Gallery UK, The National Portrait Society, and The Art Renewal Center, The Salmagundi Club, RGD, Gallery, Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine, and the Butler Museum of American Art, among others.

Ms. Carr has designed for the National Geographic Society, the Washington Post, HZDG Design Group serving a variety of clients.
Her design work has been featured in Communication Arts, Apple.com, Quicktime & Dynamic Graphics.
Portfolio: CarrFineArt.com

Angela Kuhlmann is a Catholic Life Coach who helps individuals grow in self-awareness and live from the truth of how God uniquely created them. She trained with the Catholic cohort at the Professional Christian Coaching Institute, is certified in CliftonStrengths Coaching through the Human Formation Coalition, and completed Fulfillment Story Coaching training with Dr. Joshua Miller at Franciscan University of Steubenville. Through her coaching and speaking, she helps others discover their gifts, untangle obstacles, and take faithful steps forward in fully living their personal vocation.

Zena Dell Lowe has worked professionally in the entertainment industry for over 20 years as a screenwriter, producer, actress, and story consultant. In 2020, Zena launched her podcast, The Storyteller’s Mission with Zena Dell Lowe, which has become a popular show among Christian artists all over the world, now available to watch on YouTube. Driven by a passion to equip artists of all levels to achieve excellence at their craft, Zena regularly teaches advanced classes on writing as an adjunct professor, at writers conferences all across the country, and through her online platform

Retreat Schedule

FRIDAY 6/5

12:00-12:45 Check-in Artists set up their work.

1:00-1:05 - Kathleen Carr, Welcome Remarks 

1:05-1:20  Angela Kuhlmann Introduction

1:20- 1:45  Retreatant Introductions (opportunity to share a work example)

1:45 – 1:50  Prayer Fr. Andrew Barth

1:50 – 2:15  Dr. Barbara Nicolosi - Introduction to Retreat

2:15 – 2:45 Chapel Visit to Pray in Preparation for the Retreat

2:45 – 3:00 Break

3:00 -4:00 Presentation on Flannery O’Conner’s Prayer Journal

4:00 - 5:00 Break/ Prayer time/Spiritual Direction

5:00 - 6:00 Dinner

6:00-7:00 Dr. Barbara Nicolosi - St. Teresa of Avila Part I - Metaphors of Prayer

7:00-7:15 Night Prayer

7:15-8:30 Optional Small Group Discussion & Sharing Time

8:30 – Grand Silence until Breakfast




SATURDAY 6/6


8:00 – 8:30 Morning Prayer

8:30 – 9:00 Breakfast

9:10 – 9:45  Prayer & Creativity - Dr. Andrew Barth

9:45 – 10:45 Break & Spiritual Direction with Fr. Barth, Dr. Nicolosi, Kathleen Carr

11:00 – 12:15 Mass with Polyphonic Choral Music

12:15- 1:15 Lunch

1:20 – 2:00 Dr. Nicolosi - St. Teresa of Avila - Part II The Interior Castle

2:00 – 3:15 Creative time / Prayer Time / Project Time / Spiritual Direction/ Confessions

3:15 – 4:30 Group Discussion


4:30 – 5:30 Hour of Adoration

5:30 - 6:30 Dinner

7:00-9:00 Screening of Wild Cat Film

9:00– 9:30 - Optional Discussion of Wild Cat & Flannery O’Connor’s Prayer Journal

9:30 – Grand Silence until breakfast


SUNDAY 6/7

8:00- 9:00 Breakfast

9:00-10:00 Artist’s offering & Closing remarks

10:00 - 10:30 Room Checkout & Departure

11:00- 12:15 Optional Mass at Mt. Calvary Church Anglican Ordinariate (Approx. 12 mins drive south to downtown Baltimore. Met Calvary has ample parking)

**2:00 - 3:30 Docent Lead Tour of the Walters Art Gallery - Separate Registration Required! To register visit: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/catholicartinstitute/2164718

*check in for our group starts at 12:30 pm but we will move to our rooms during the 2:45 pm break. Check out is at 10:00 am on Sunday. Retreatants can purchase lunch on Friday prior to the start of the retreat.

The retreat includes the following meals: Friday dinner, Saturday breakfast, lunch and dinner, Sunday breakfast, plus beverages through out the retreat.

**Walters Art Museum tour requires registration and will be open to commuters and non retreat attendees. It is not included in the price of the retreat so please visit the link above for details and registration. 

Schedule start and end times will not change but some details could be subject to updates or changes.

Enrollment Details & Costs

Enrollment options include staying in the newly renovated St. Mary's Seminary Retreat Center. All enrollment rates include the full retreat, including dinner on Friday, breakfast, lunch and dinner on Saturday,  and breakfast on Sunday, plus drinks available the entire time.  

St. Mary of the Lake offers high quality food and is able to accommodate dairy and gluten free meal options but please email contact@catholicartinstitute.org when you register and send us your dietary requirements.

Member Commuter Rate (includes meals) - $250

Non-Member Commuter Rate (includes meals) - $275

Deadline for Enrolling for Commuter Options is May 28, 2026

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Single Room w/ Queen Bed & Private Bath - Member Rate (includes meals) - $425

Single Room w/ Queen Bed & Private Bath - Non Member Rate (includes meals) - $450

Deadline for Enrolling for Overnight Options is May 26,, 2026

We are limited to 20 guest room and we are likely to sell out, so if you'd like to stay at St. Mary's considered booking as soon as possible.

About St. Mary's Seminary & Retreat Center

Set on a serene, tree-lined campus in Baltimore’s historic Roland Park neighborhood, St. Mary’s Seminary & University offers a rare atmosphere of beauty, quiet, and spiritual depth. Founded in 1791, it is the oldest Catholic seminary in the United States, established by the Sulpician Fathers at the request of Bishop John Carroll to form priests for the young American Church.

The present campus, built in 1929, sits on 40 acres of landscaped grounds, with stately architecture, broad lawns, and winding drives that create a peaceful, park-like setting ideal for prayer and reflection.

At the heart of the seminary stands its beautiful chapel, richly appointed with marble, carved oak, stained glass from Paris, and a Casavant pipe organ, forming a quiet and dignified place for Mass, prayer, and contemplation.

Comfortable Retreat Accommodations

Guests stay in the seminary’s newly renovated private rooms, designed to provide both comfort and simplicity.

Each room includes:

• Queen bed
• Private ensuite bathroom
• Quiet, monastic atmosphere ideal for rest
• Simple, elegant furnishings
• Views of the landscaped campus

The seminary also provides excellent meals prepared on site, allowing guests to relax fully and focus on prayer, study, and conversation.

A Place Designed for Prayer and Rest

Unlike a hotel, a seminary is intentionally built as a place of silence and reflection.

Here guests can enjoy:

• A beautiful chapel for Mass and prayer
• Peaceful walking paths and lawns
• Historic architecture and sacred spaces
• Ample free parking directly on campus
• Quiet surroundings in the charming Roland Park district

The campus was designed to be removed from the noise of the city while still easily accessible, making it ideal for a retreat experience.

Historic Setting

For over two centuries, St. Mary’s Seminary has played a central role in the life of the Catholic Church in America. Among those connected to the seminary are:

• Blessed Michael J. McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus
• Early missionary priests of the American frontier
• Generations of priests serving dioceses across the United States and beyond.

This long tradition gives the campus a sense of continuity, prayer, and sacred purpose that is immediately felt by visitors.

Travel Information

St. Mary’s Seminary & University
5400 Roland Ave, Baltimore, MD 21210

St. Mary’s Seminary is located in the Roland Park neighborhood of Baltimore, about 15 miles north of the main airport and easily accessible by train, light rail, taxi, or rideshare.

Parking at St. Mary's Seminary & University

Ample parking is available at the University for those staying and commuting to the retreat.

Closest Airport

Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)
Distance: ~16 miles / about 25–30 minutes by car.

BWI is the closest and most convenient airport for reaching St. Mary’s Seminary and has extensive domestic and international flights.

From BWI to the Seminary

Taxi / Uber / Lyft  Approx. 25–30 minutes

University of St. Mary of the Lake Photos

Refunds​

Full refunds are available until May 10, 2026. After May 17, 2026, a 50% refund is available. No refunds after May 22, 2026. 
Registration ends May 26, 2026 for rooms, May 28, 2026 for commuters.

*transaction fees are non-refundable