Non-silent Recovery Retreat for Women
Page 153 of the Big Book gives us a wonderful promise: "You will learn the full meaning of 'Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself'." Our retreat focuses on ways we can make this promise a reality in our lives.
Fr. Patrick Mullin, C.M. was ordained in 1975 for the Congregation of the Mission, commonly known as Vincentians. From 1975 to 1979 Fr. Patrick was on the faculty of St. Vincent's High School Seminary where he taught and was Vocation Director for the Vincentians. Following this assignment Fr. Patrick was assigned to St. Vincent's Parish in Huntington Beach for two years, Miraculous Medal Parish in Montebello for four years and St. Vincent's Parish in Phoenix, AZ for ten years. From 1995 to 2001, Fr. Patrick was on the staff of DePaul Evangelization Center in Montebello and now is director of St. Mary's Seminary, a retreat center in Santa Barbara. In addition to his duties at St. Mary's, Fr. Patrick does parish missions and recovery retreats. Fr Pat's sobriety date is Dec. 9, 1983 and he has been doing recovery retreats since 1989.
Assisting
Fr. Kevin Ballard, S.J., was born in San Francisco and raised in a traveling military family, joined the Society of Jesus in 1972 and was ordained in 1985. His ministry, mainly in parishes, has also included community organizing, high school teaching, and retreat work. Three years in Kathmandu, Nepal were a highlight and delight. His ongoing interest in Ignatian Spirituality has entailed directing the Spiritual Exercises in their various forms. Since 1981, the blessings of the 12 Steps have been key to life and work. Judaism has been an ongoing inspiration. He is blessed to live sober, one day at a time, since 1981. Kevin is recreated by languages, bird-watching and "staring into space!"
Fr. James Flynn, S.J. was born in 1942 in Los Angeles, CA and attended St. Charles Grammar
School in North Hollywood. After graduating from Bishop Garcia Diego
High School in Santa Barbara in 1960, he matriculated at Santa Clara
University. On September 8, 1961, he entered the Society of Jesus at
Los Gatos.
After the normal course of training at Los Gatos, Fr. Jim majored in
philosophy and English at Gonzaga University, graduating in 1967. He
taught at Loyola High School, Los Angeles from 1967-1970, and after
theological studies at the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, he
graduated with an M.Div. in 1973. He was ordained a priest on June 15,
1973. That same year he completed a Master's Degree in English
at Loyola University, Los Angeles.
The next 12 years Fr. Jim worked in administration in Jesuit secondary
education: Assistant Principal for Academic Affairs at Loyola High School,
Los Angeles, Campus Minister (1967-81) and Principal (1981-85) at Jesuit
High School, Sacramento. After a sabbatical year at the Jesuit School
of Theology in Cambridge, MA, he pursued graduate studies at Andover
Newton Theological School in Newton Centre, MA. His concentration was
Ignatian Spirituality and American Jesuit Higher Education: how to maintain
the Ignatian character of the institutions with fewer and fewer Jesuits.
He graduated with a Doctor of Ministry degree in 1989. — more about Fr. Jim
Fr. Jim Hanley, S.J. in reflecting on his retreat work at The Jesuit Retreat Center, keeps returning to the phrase "awesome experience." It's a daily witnessing of "God at work," he says. The experience is made even more powerful by the gorgeous surroundings at The Jesuit Retreat Center: "Each morning as we rise, we encounter the power and beauty of God in nature."
A native San Franciscan, Fr. Jim entered the Jesuit order in 1945 after
graduation from Sacred Heart High School, San Francisco. Following his
ordination to the priesthood in 1958, Fr. Jim served as a teacher of
religion and a campus minister at St. Ignatius College Preparatory, San
Francisco, and Loyola High School, Los Angeles. He served as president
of St. Ignatius College Preparatory and as vice-provincial in charge
of formation in the California Province.
Fr. Jim Hanley, S.J. who was on the Retreat Center staff for 25 years,
will be helping on various retreats during the year. Fr. Jim now lives
at Sacred Heart Jesuit Center at Los Gatos and works as a spiritual director
for the priests of the Stockton Diocese.
Mary Peterson, a wife, mother, grandmother, artist, spiritual director and perpetual seeker, was trained at Spiritual Directors Institute, Mercy Center, Burlingame. She believes that all is a gift, and although sometimes painful, when unwrapped contains a piece of our becoming more real and authentic.
Fr. Peter Togni, S.J., born in King City, CA, and raised on a dairy farm in Greenfield, graduated from Yale before entering the California Province of the Jesuits in 1975. He has taught in the theology department at USF and served there as an Associate Dean for students' issues.
A volunteer at San Quentin for six years, Fr. Peter helped to set up
and coordinate for the prisoners the offerings of the School of Pastoral
Leadership for the Archdiocese of San Francisco, also teaching in that
program.
Fr. Peter has a deep devotion to the working of the Holy Spirit and wrote his dissertation on a novitiate in the early Society of Jesus.
