St. John Vianney Confessor's Institute

The Initiative for Priestly Renewal in conjunction with St Patrick’s Seminary & University and the Avila Institute present

Confessor’s Institute

June 21st at 4 PM - June 25th at 1:30 PM, 2027

Villa Maria Retreat Center 

Santa Cruz, CA

$649

EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT - $200 OFF - THROUGH 2/11/27

Limited Seating!

Please email alilles@myavila.com if you are in need of a scholarship.

The “Confessor’s Institute” is an annual five day summer program for transitional deacons, priests, and bishops dedicated to the training of confessors with instruction in every aspect of the Sacrament of Penance as well as its effects on the lives of confessors, penitents and the Church’s entire sacramental economy. Saint Patrick’s Seminary and University and the Avila Institute host this opportunity for ongoing priestly formation through the Initiative of Priestly Renewal.

Purpose: 

This institute addresses two related problems that threaten priestly life, identity and spirituality: We face a loss of the “craft of the confessor” that can only be restored through thoughtful discernment and ongoing conversations among confessors regarding the Sacrament of Reconciliation and emerging pastoral challenges confronting the conversion and spiritual freedom of the People of God.

Unless and until priests themselves become regularly practicing penitents, a kind of pastoral eclipse prevents meaningful access to the sacrament for the faithful, inspired by the priestly witness of Saint John Vianney as a Confessor, the Institute addresses these two issues by retrieving the heritage of this sacrament in the Roman Rite through offering opportunities to withdraw into personal prayer and reflection, common daily liturgies, in depth instruction by leading experts, meaningful peer discussions, one on one spiritual direction, priestly fraternity, and collaborative strategy sessions at the Villa Maria del Mar Retreat Center in Santa Cruz, CA.

Goals:

(a) To examine every aspect of the sacrament, especially from a confessor’s point of view;

(b) To promote skillful hearing of confessions with an eye to emerging complex pastoral, moral, spiritual, canonical and legal issues;

(c) To explore the relationship of healing and deliverance to the sacrament;

(d) To rediscover the spirituality of the confessor, as developed by great confessors of the Roman Rite such as St. Jean Vianney, St. Leopold, Fr. Dolindo, and others.

(e) To examine the history and reform of the Rite of Penance of Paul VI as an effective force in the renewal of the Church intended by the Second Vatican Council and now implemented in the New Evangelization; and

(f) To promote the Sacrament of Penance and penitential practice as part of priestly identity, ministry and spiritual fatherhood.

Structure: 

The five day program begins with the keynote Monday evening and concludeswith a final liturgy and closing address on Friday. An array of theologians, canonists, and pastors will offer plenary sessions every morning on the many aspects of the Rite of Penance that will assist priests to become effective confessors. Each day’s work would be folded into a daily schedule built around private prayer, Mass, the Divine Office, common meals and opportunity for study and sharing of pastoral experiences through plenary sessions, workshops and roundtable discussions.

• Plenary Address
• Keynote Address
• Other plenary sessions
• Workshops topic

Plenary sessions will cover the identity and mission of the confessor as spiritual father and fellow penitent, the history of the sacrament of reconciliation and strategy for its restoration in parochial life, developing pastoral, cultural and moral influences on the sacrament, penance in relation to healing and deliverance ministry, emerging legal and canonical issues, and reconciliation as a source for the renewal of priestly ministry and the life of the Church.

Workshop topics include:

• The Approaches of Confessors who became Saints
• Best Practices surrounding technology and the confessional for Protecting the Seal of the Sacrament
• Best Practices around Deliverance and other Specialized Ministry inside the Confessional
• How to Help Penitents Struggling with Gender Disphoria, Same Sex Attraction and Broken Family Life
• Helping Souls find Freedom from Pornography, Scrolling and Gaming

The institute also includes opportunities for individual confession, spiritual direction as well as individual specialized ministry with trained brother priests as well as roundtable discussions with canonists, theologians, other experts, and peer practitioners in the art of hearing confession and the pastoral landscape of the Church.

Arrival and Departure:

The Institute begins with room registration at 4:00 PM with an welcome and orientation at 5:00 PM followed by dinner.

Participants arriving early on Monday June 21 are also invited to an optional pre-institute lunch at 2:00 PM, included with the cost of registration (meet at the retreat house by 1:45 PM).

The Institute ends at 1:30 PM after the closing Mass and lunch on June 25.

Included in registration fee: 

• Retreat
• Lodging
• Meals - all meals are included starting with dinner on Monday and ends with lunch on Friday.
• Transportation to and from the San Jose (SJC) and San Francisco (SFO) Airports

Confirmed Speakers

(more to come)

To Be Announced!

About Villa Maria Del Mar Retreat Center

The retreat center, Villa Maria Del Mar, is located right on the coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. In the courtyard are steps that lead down to the beach. (https://villamariadelmar.org/)

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