Short Version

For the first 5 years (2000-2005) Earthen Vessels focused on retreats for priests. For the next 5 years (2006-2010) Earthen Vessels focused on retreats for married couples, especially for married couples who minister to other married couples. Now Earthen Vessels brings together ordination and marriage and focuses on retreats for diaconate couples. So far as the Earthen Vessels Team knows, it presents the only retreat experience in America which brings marriage and ordination together in one retreat experience.

Longer Version

Earthen Vessels began in the Jubilee Year 2000 when Br. Cyril Drnjevic, OSB was deeply moved by the healing and renewal of hurting marriages which he witnessed by participating in Retrouvaille, a ministry for troubled marriages which grew out of Marriage Encounter. Br. Cyril was inspired to do something equally intense, moving, and healing for people who serve in ministry. He worked with 2 priests who are committed to Retrouvaille, Fr. Luke Buckles, OP (a theology professor who now teaches in Rome) and Fr. Bob Jones, SVD (who was then the priest leader of International Retrouvaille). Fr. Ray Dlugos, OSA (who has a Ph.D in Psychology) also joined the Earthen Vessels team and wrote an outline for the Earthen Vessels retreat program, based on his broad experience in the ministry of healing, for religious and for diocesan priests. Thus began the Earthen Vessels renewal program. The emphasis in an Earthen Vessels experience is on living the Paschal Mystery in our ministry. The goal of Earthen Vessels is to renew Jesus’ presence in life and ministry.