We are committed to bringing the Gospel to life by inviting people into an intimate relationship with a loving God. Through contemplative prayer with scripture and mediation by the way of weekend workshops, weekly sessions or longer retreats, Verbum Dei encourages participants to engage in a life-giving, transformative journey of faith. We embody our witness to gospel values in the diverse forms of art, music, the relationship with the environment and social awareness.
Contemplation of scripture is for us the way how people learn to become familiar with the voice of God present in the interpretation of the biblical text and the interpretation of their lives and the world. Consequently they are empowered to become an agent of personal and social change filled with the love of God. We teach this kind of meditation and contemplation in weekend sessions or on a weekly basis including support for a daily practice. Verbum Dei forms grass roots prayer communities around the world that are a living network. The meetings happen in local parishes, community centers, campus ministry settings or private homes.
Find your nearest group.
Our retreats aim to lead people to a deeper relationship with God and are catered to reach people in their personal or communal needs with different levels of religious experiences, age, questions, and sensitivity. The different retreats will tend to include guided mediation with Scripture, reflective journaling, relaxation, fellowship, the possibility for individual spiritual accompaniment and opportunities for creative expressions, pilgrimages, appreciation of nature, silence, work with your hands and small group sharing.
Upcoming retreats
For those who are more familiar with retreats we offer one day or weekend silent retreats and longer Verbum Dei spiritual exercises that last 1 to 4 weeks. These prolonged retreats provide a unique opportunity to take time out for getting to the heart of things with God. People choose this silent oasis on a regular basis for their spiritual growth or at specific moments in their life to find new orientation, supporting a longer process of discernment or praying through a decision of life.
These are formation programs that nourish individuals or entire leadership teams of parishioners, lay ministers, religious congregations and any group who wishes to deepen their faith. They are either weekend seminars, day workshop or an evening intensive. Our purpose is to provide resources for the laity or religious, diocesan priests and ministers of different denominations who seek a continuing program of theological leadership formation and/or tools to better serve their own communities.
A specialized leadership program focuses on the learning of sharing ones religious experience by the way of preaching and retreat leadership. Since this program requires a substantial time-commitment and openness towards an own accompanied spiritual process, the interested individual needs to go trough an application and interview process.
We offer people from all walks of life, backgrounds and occupations the opportunity to grow in their relationship with God. Choosing a spiritual director offers the unique opportunity for anybody to become more aware of their own inner life and capacities to live fully alive in their circumstances and contexts. We also offer possibilities for people to learn to become spiritual directors.
We are responsible for the religious education programs in particular parishes, seminary teaching, retreats and evangelization work in diverse dioceses. We also are offering parish missions, confirmation retreats or youth encounters and camps at the request of the pastor.
If you would like to request a missionary to give a talk, presentation or retreat, contact us.