Retreat Schedule > Life is the Teacher: I am the Student

Life is the Teacher: I am the Student

A Silent, Recovery Weekend for Men

October 30 - November 1, 2026

Groups Attending: Individuals

Summary

As we watch how our Higher Power manifests in creation, we witness that Life is the Teacher. As our lives unfold before us, sometimes we wonder “why is this happening to me?” A better question might be “what is this person, situation, or circumstance trying to show or teach me?” How do we learn to interpret the happenings in our day with the intention to “read our spiritual mail?” We need to see it and feel it, rather than push the lesson away, because the lesson holds the answer for change. This weekend will focus on embracing that shift in perception, to realize that it’s all a gift, if we’re willing to be students.

Description

A Retreat Leader leads the retreat and prepares thematic talks rooted in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius and the 12 Step Program. The retreat offers a unique time away with optional opportunities for a 12 Step meeting, confession, Mass, consultation with a spiritual director, and group prayer experiences. Recovery Retreats end after the 11:30 am lunch.

Bellarmine has two libraries, a resource center, two chapels, and many other common areas. Outdoor spaces include a various walking trails, various prayer gardens, a gazebo, stations of the cross, as well as a few patios and outdoor chairs and benches.

You can learn more about what to expect by visiting this page.

Retreat Experience Gallery

Bellarmine Main Entrance

Sacred Heart Chapel

Mary McKeon Library

St. Joseph Gazebo

Mother Teresa Garden

Eastern Africa Collection

Fireplace Lounge

Dining Room

Winter on the Grounds

Resource Center

Sacred Heart Statue at Sunset

Susie's Memorial Garden

Madonna Library

Lower Level Lounge

Retreat Leader

Roger Bruner

Roger Bruner began his craft in the music industry, a veteran of the stage and road. This is where he learned,earned, and crafted his skills with audiences for more than 30 years throughout the United States and Canada. Roger is a speaker who uses humor and multiple disciplines to produce insightful, thoughtful, entertaining and sometimes challenging presentations. A Keynote speaker, a creator of curriculum in the recovery field, Roger has been a leader of workshops, study groups and is a certified retreat leader as well as a Spiritual Director. He has been crafting these skills for the past 47 years. Intimate small groups, to gatherings of several thousands, have heard him live and on his many recordings. Stories, metaphors, metaphysics, Eastern and Western cultural tools and traditions as well as a smattering of science are the fabric of his life as well as the fabric of his presentations. He brings life, experience, and a deep concern for his audiences. Touched by the intimacy, moved by the possibilities.