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 20-25, 2021

Black Rock Retreat Center

Quarryville, PA

​​​​​​​Taught by Christopher West

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 for the remainder of 2021 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 11-16, 2021
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​​​​​​​Black Rock Retreat Center

​​​​​​​Quarryville, PA

​​​​​​​Taught by Rev. Joseph Koopman

Registration opens April 2021

Course Description:

The class will study the Catholic Church’s teaching on sexual ethics in light of St. John Paul II’s theology of the body.  Beginning with a very brief overview of the foundations of Catholic Morality, drawn from the Catechism and John Paul II’s encyclical Veritatis Splendor, (discussing issues such as freedom, virtue, conscience, and moral action), the course will turn to the Church’s vision of sexuality, rooted in the proper theological understanding of the human person.  Consideration will be given to the importance of the body within Christian anthropology, along with an examination of the virtue of chastity, the vocation of marriage, and John Paul’s understanding of the ‘nuptial meaning of the body.’   We will study the Church’s teaching on contraception, procreative technologies, sterilization, abortion, homosexuality, fornication and cohabitation, masturbation, pornography and more.

Learning Objectives: The course is designed

• to explore the essential principles of the Catholic moral tradition, and the reasons behind the Catholic Church’s teaching on sexuality
• to assess the contributions that John Paul II’s theology of the body offers Catholic sexual ethics
• to understand the differences between natural family planning and contraception
• to assess the reasons that underlie the Church’s teaching that contraception, homosexuality, masturbation, fornication, pornography and other ethical issues related to sexuality are morally wrong
• to assess the primary reasons why many Catholics reject the Church’s teaching on sexual ethics, and to consider ways to more effectively proclaim the Church’s teaching on sexuality.

Assessment for Certification Students: All TOBI Certification students are required to complete an assessment for this course prior to participating in an additional course with TOBI.

Instructor:

Rev. Joseph Koopman, M.Div, M.A., S.T.D., graduated from Franciscan University of Steubenville in 1996, after which he entered St. Mary Seminary in Cleveland, Ohio. He was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Cleveland in 2001, and served as a newly ordained priest at St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Parma. From 2005 to 2009, Fr. Koopman attended the Accademia Alfonsiana in Rome, Italy, where he received a license and doctorate in theology. Since 2009, he has been a professor of moral theology at St. Mary Seminary, along with serving as an advisor in moral theology and ethics for the Diocese of Cleveland and the Ohio Catholic Conference of Bishops.

Theology of the Body I: Head & Heart Immersion Course (Online)

July 19 – 30, 2021

Taught by Christopher West

Christopher West, Th.D.

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.

October 3-8, 2021

Black Rock Retreat Center

Quarryville, PA

​​​​​​​Taught by Bill Donaghy

Registration opens June 2021

Course Description:

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.

Instructor:

Bill Donaghy is an instructor, international speaker, and curriculum specialist for the Theology of the Body Institute Certification Program. Bill worked for nearly a decade teaching theology at Malvern Preparatory School as well as Immaculata University, while giving talks, retreats, and conferences for the Theology of the Body Institute. He has worked in the fields of mission and evangelization since 1999 and has given talks and retreats to bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated men and women, and the lay faithful throughout the United States, as well as Canada, Mexico, Chile, Australia, and Papua New Guinea. He and his wife, Rebecca, live just outside of Philadelphia, PA with their four children.