Ligonier, Pennsylvania, September 4, 2026
sabaisper.substack.com
82 men from 58 Antiochian parishes across 26 US states and three Canadian provinces gathered at the Antiochian Village in Ligonier, Pennsylvania, for the Antiochian Archdiocese’s first vocations retreat, “Do You Want to Be a Priest?”
The event ran Aug. 20-23 and was held in conjunction with Ancient Faith Ministries under the leadership of His Eminence Metropolitan Saba. 54 participants brought their wives or fiancées, one brought another family member, and six brought babies, bringing total attendance to 143, the Archdiocese reports.
Sessions covered the spiritual life of a priest and his family, the practicalities of clergy training, and the challenges of parish life, including loneliness, financial stress, parish conflict, relocation, and burnout. Presenters included Metropolitan Saba, Bishop John, and a number of priests and their wives, who spoke from their own experience in ministry.
antiochian.org
The retreat combined lectures, panel discussions, and smaller group conversations, with many participants staying up late talking with presenters after sessions ended.
The weekend closed with a Hierarchal Divine Liturgy on Sunday, led by Metropolitan Saba and concelebrating clergy.
Participants described the retreat as a turning point in their discernment. One wrote that the experience helped him realize he needed to return to the basics of a regular prayer life. Another, who said he’d always sensed an inclination toward the priesthood but couldn’t explain it, said the retreat helped him see that longing as a calling he’s carried since childhood.
Several participants also spoke of the importance of including their wives and fiancées in the discernment process, with one saying the retreat gave him a clearer picture of the priesthood “from both sides,” through the eyes of both a priest and his wife.
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