OPEN FOR REGISTRATION

“Glorious things are said of you, O city of God” (Ps 87:3).

“One thing I ask, this alone I seek,” says the psalmist, “to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and contemplate his temple” (Ps 27:4).

These Scriptures, and countless others, are fulfilled in the flesh and blood of Mary, which became God’s city, God’s dwelling place. But for far too many Catholics, Mary remains an abstraction, a blue plaster statue, a disincarnate hyper-pious “ideal” far removed from the realities of daily life and the visceral desires of the human heart. Who is Mary, really? “Who is this who comes forth like the dawn, beautiful as the moon, pure as the blazing sun, fearsome as celestial visions?” (Song of Songs 6:10).

Through the lens of St. John Paul II’s TOB and with the help of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the insights of countless saints and mystics throughout the ages, this course seeks to answer that question in such a way as to show what the most influential woman in all of human history means to us here and now, today, in our own personal lives, with all our questions, struggles, and longings. It will demonstrate how all the Marian doctrines of the Church and the call of true devotion to the Mother of God have one and only one goal: to lead us to deeper union with the Word who was made flesh in her womb.

Instructor:

Christopher West, ThD, serves as President and Senior Lecturer for the Theology of the Body Institute near Philadelphia. His global lecturing, best-selling books and multiple audio and video programs have made him one of the world’s most recognized teachers of St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body. His work has been featured in The New York Times, on ABC News, MSNBC, Fox News, and countless Catholic and Evangelical media outlets.

Registration now open.

“Glorious things are said of you, O city of God” (Ps 87:3).

“One thing I ask, this alone I seek,” says the psalmist, “to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and contemplate his temple” (Ps 27:4).

These Scriptures, and countless others, are fulfilled in the flesh and blood of Mary, which became God’s city, God’s dwelling place. But for far too many Catholics, Mary remains an abstraction, a blue plaster statue, a disincarnate hyper-pious “ideal” far removed from the realities of daily life and the visceral desires of the human heart. Who is Mary, really? “Who is this who comes forth like the dawn, beautiful as the moon, pure as the blazing sun, fearsome as celestial visions?” (Song of Songs 6:10).

Through the lens of St. John Paul II’s TOB and with the help of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the insights of countless saints and mystics throughout the ages, this course seeks to answer that question in such a way as to show what the most influential woman in all of human history means to us here and now, today, in our own personal lives, with all our questions, struggles, and longings. It will demonstrate how all the Marian doctrines of the Church and the call of true devotion to the Mother of God have one and only one goal: to lead us to deeper union with the Word who was made flesh in her womb.

Instructor:

Christopher West, ThD, serves as President and Senior Lecturer for the Theology of the Body Institute near Philadelphia. His global lecturing, best-selling books and multiple audio and video programs have made him one of the world’s most recognized teachers of St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body. His work has been featured in The New York Times, on ABC News, MSNBC, Fox News, and countless Catholic and Evangelical media outlets.

Registration now open.

“Glorious things are said of you, O city of God” (Ps 87:3).

“One thing I ask, this alone I seek,” says the psalmist, “to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and contemplate his temple” (Ps 27:4).

These Scriptures, and countless others, are fulfilled in the flesh and blood of Mary, which became God’s city, God’s dwelling place. But for far too many Catholics, Mary remains an abstraction, a blue plaster statue, a disincarnate hyper-pious “ideal” far removed from the realities of daily life and the visceral desires of the human heart. Who is Mary, really? “Who is this who comes forth like the dawn, beautiful as the moon, pure as the blazing sun, fearsome as celestial visions?” (Song of Songs 6:10).

Through the lens of St. John Paul II’s TOB and with the help of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the insights of countless saints and mystics throughout the ages, this course seeks to answer that question in such a way as to show what the most influential woman in all of human history means to us here and now, today, in our own personal lives, with all our questions, struggles, and longings. It will demonstrate how all the Marian doctrines of the Church and the call of true devotion to the Mother of God have one and only one goal: to lead us to deeper union with the Word who was made flesh in her womb.

Instructor:

Christopher West, ThD, serves as President and Senior Lecturer for the Theology of the Body Institute near Philadelphia. His global lecturing, best-selling books and multiple audio and video programs have made him one of the world’s most recognized teachers of St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body. His work has been featured in The New York Times, on ABC News, MSNBC, Fox News, and countless Catholic and Evangelical media outlets.

June 19-24, 2021

Black Rock Retreat Center

Quarryville, PA

​​​​​​​Taught by Christopher West

REGISTRATION FOR THIS COURSE IS NOT YET OPEN

This course introduces students to the key themes of the 129 Wednesday audience addresses that comprise John Paul II’s Theology of the Body.  Particular attention will be paid to the imago Dei, fall and redemption, Christian ethics and ethos, freedom and person, gender and vocation.  Students will be encouraged to journey from “head to heart” in applying the theological concepts they learn to their own lives and relationships.

All our week-long retreats include:

• Five days of learning & interactive lecture (30 hours of master’s level instruction)
• Fantastic workbook so you can focus on receiving vs. note-taking
• Daily Mass, adoration, and confession
• Accommodations & delicious meals
• Time for relaxation and networking
• Gorgeous grounds to soak in God’s natural beauty
• Optional round trip shuttle from Philadelphia International Airport

Instructor:

Christopher West, Th.D., serves as President and Senior Lecturer for the Theology of the Body Institute near Philadelphia. His global lecturing, best-selling books and multiple audio and video programs have made him one of the world’s most recognized teachers of St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body. His work has been featured in The New York Times, on ABC News, MSNBC, Fox News, and countless Catholic and Evangelical media outlets.

Registration Cost:

– $1,195 Early Registration Fee before May 3, 2021

— Price includes room, meals, workbook, and course.

– $1,295 Registration Fee after May 3, 2021

– $60 Optional Airport Shuttle from Philadelphia International Airport

TOBI is open to accepting out of country registrants for our courses with the following conditions:*
– A fully vaccinated out of country student is allowed to register and attend.
– A non-vaccinated out of country student with a covid-negative test result within 72 hours of entering the state of Pennsylvania is allowed to register and attend.**

*This is subject to change based on any additional guideline changes from the CDC or the State of Pennsylvania.
**If student receives a positive result and is unable to attend, TOBI will refund the course fee. 

All students should check their state and country travel restrictions before registering for the course to confirm no further procedures are required.

July 10-15, 2022

Black Rock Retreat Center

​​​​​​​Quarryville, PA

THIS COURSE IS NOT YET OPEN FOR REGISTRATION

Course Description:

Through a close reading of Love and Responsibility, the class will study Karol Wojtyla’s philosophical approach to sexual ethics, one established through a phenomenological analysis of sexual attraction, love, male and female differences, shame, and chastity, among other topics. We shall then see how the personalistic norm provides a philosophical backbone for the Catholic Church’s teaching on sexual ethics, especially contraception. Love and Responsibility is the philosophical counterpart to the Theology of the Body.

Course Description: 

This course examines the main themes of the following works of John Paul II: On the Christian Family in the Modern World, On the Dignity & Vocation of Women, Letter to Women, Letter to Families and the work of Pope Benedict XVI, Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Collaboration of Men and Women in the Church and in the World. Particular attention will be paid to the development in these documents of themes presented in the Wednesday Catechesis on the body. Gender, marriage, and family will be analyzed on the basis of John Paul’s teaching that the human body is the expression of the person and that the differences in masculinity and femininity point to the invitation by God to love as He loves.

Instructor: Bill Donaghy

Course Description: 

This course examines the main themes of the following works of John Paul II: On the Christian Family in the Modern World, On the Dignity & Vocation of Women, Letter to Women, Letter to Families and the work of Pope Benedict XVI, Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Collaboration of Men and Women in the Church and in the World. Particular attention will be paid to the development in these documents of themes presented in the Wednesday Catechesis on the body. Gender, marriage, and family will be analyzed on the basis of John Paul’s teaching that the human body is the expression of the person and that the differences in masculinity and femininity point to the invitation by God to love as He loves.

Instructor: Bill Donaghy