Finding Peace by Discerning God's Will

“In these times of complexity and unrest, what does it mean to pursue and embody God’s Completeness-Shalom”. Fr. Patrick Cronauer.
As a Benedictine Oblate affiliated with the monks of St. Vincent, I was privileged to attend the retreat “Shalom: A Biblical and Existential Challenge” June 27, 2026 at the St. Vincent Archabbey. The retreat master, Fr. Patrick Cronauer challenged us to articulate the meaning of Shalom for us personally. By means of a detailed discussion of both Old and New Testament scriptures, he provided us with tools for understanding the meaning of Shalom in the Bible and in our lives. We were encouraged on numerous occasions, to break up into groups and “brainstorm” about the scriptures and their application to practicing “Shalom”. Fr. Cronauer is very knowledgeable on the topic; his presentation reflected years of insightful research and practical application.
In his discussion of the deeper meaning of Shalom, he explained the intention of God for wholeness and peace in our relationships with each other and in creation. Forgiveness, love and healing are central tenets to the Covenantal relationship “Shalom”, requiring respect for the relationship between God and “man” as prescribed in the Adamic Covenant. We discussed Chaos as the opposite of Shalom, rejection of the covenant resulting from our sins.
He closed the retreat with more table discussion on how to nurture “Shalom” in our everyday relationships with our neighbors. Excellent retreat. Thank you Fr. Cronauer.

I felt very blessed to have attended this retreat. I’m grateful to have learned a lot about the concept of Shalom - I never realized there was so much there. I hope to attend more retreats at Saint Vincent in the future.

This retreat was well presented and gave us opportunities to participate. I received many invites of the Old and New Testsments of the Bible. Father Pat really knows how to impart knowledge from his vast experiences and his his mastery of the Bible. He is a fantastic teacher. My wife and I are so blessed to have these opportunities to attend these remarkable retreats. We meet many people on our faith journey. It was great to be with people like that.

It's a deep topic and could easily be presented over several afternoons! I was familiar with some of the content from previous study, so that helped me to listen to the teaching. I did additional study after the retreat to help me integrate some of the aspects of "Shalom" in my life. If I attended the retreat again, I would try to come in with a quieter mind and more receptive spirit Of course, meeting other people with an interest in the same topic is always great!

I attended this 4 hour retreat on June 26, 2026. The setting at the St. Vincent Archabbey is very calming, and is perfect for the retreat. I appreciate praying the Mid-day prayer as the first activity. This helps the retreatants to focus on God, and to put aside the distractions of the world. Fr. Pat explained Shalom very well, with the right amount of detail. This fostered excellent discussions with each breakout group. Finally, I appreciate the excellent hospitality. The Fred Rogers Center is perfect, as is the excellent food that is provided. I highly recommend this retreat for these reasons.