2026 Deacon/Wives retreat planned

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Greetings! We trust your Easter Season was joyful and as we continue with Ordinary Time, we hope you are filled with joy, happiness, and good health.

We are very pleased to announce that the 2026 Deacon /Wives retreat date has been finalized. As previously discussed, due to budgetary constraints and in an effort to simplify the retreat, this year we are only offering one retreat which will be at Villa Maria Retreat and Spirituality Center (http://www.vmesc.org), Villa Maria, Pa. This retreat will take place from Sunday, August 9 (4 PM check-in) through Wednesday, August 12, 2026 (end at Noon after mass). Fr. Michael Kesicki from Albion, PA will lead this retreat. We are very grateful to Father Michael for his willingness to lead the Diocesan Deacons/Wives as we reflect on our diaconal ministries.

REGISTRATION

We are pleased to invite you to register for our retreats this year by contacting Deb at nrmommydeb@gmail.com or phone:/text 814-571-4077.

Please advise of any dietary or other accommodations required to make your stay comfortable. We will do our best to comply. Any questions may be directed to Deb or Ray. If you or your spouse will be arriving late, leaving early, missing meals, etc. PLEASE advise us of the particulars, to avoid unnecessary expenses to the diocese. PLEASE NOTE: if you do NOT receive an email or text confirming your reservation, please reach out to ensure that your reservation has been received. Additionally, we’re asking ALL deacons to share their wife’s phone number and email addresses for receipt of communications, if acceptable to both deacon and wife.

Please be advised that charging of EV vehicles is not available at this facility. Additional information with directions, specific requirements, and releases, if any, along with lists of attendees will be sent out via email as we get nearer to the retreat dates. If you require mailed information, please advise us at your earliest convenience.

Click here for a PDF flyer of this information

Peace in Christ,
Deacon Ray Sobina (rsobina@eriercd.org) and Deb Sobina (nrmommydeb@gmail.com or text 814-571-4077)

Photo from last year's retreat

The class photo from the August 2025 retreat at the Villa Maria Retreat and Spirituality Center. Special thanks to Fr. Luke Dagher (pictured center)!