4 pm Friday, July 11 to
12 pm Sunday, July 13, 2025
Pilgrims of Hope: An Ignatian Retreat
with Carolyn Capuano, HM and Melinda Smith, MD

You are warmly invited to this weekend retreat which will include large group presentations using scripture, music and media and ample time for personal prayer. St. Ignatius of Loyola referred to himself as “The Pilgrim” and, during this Jubilee Year, we are reminded that each of us is also engaged in a pilgrimage of hope. We are called to respond to God’s invitation to live in love, grace and hope today. Ignatius’ historic path of encounter, resistance, conversion and ongoing relationship with the Holy will inspire our time together. Retreat will open with an introductory conference at 4:00 PM on Friday, will include a special Sunday Eucharist and will conclude with lunch on Sunday. For those who desire a longer time of prayer contact the registrar for arrangements to extend your stay either before or after the weekend.

Sister Carolyn Capuano, HM currently serves as a Certified (Diocese of Youngstown) Pastoral Associate at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Community in Canton, OH and as a retreat director at Eastern Point Jesuit Retreat House, Gloucester, MA. She is a trained retreat and spiritual director who completed her internship at the Jesuit Renewal Center, Milford, and continued her training at Weston Jesuit School of Theology where she earned an MTS with distinction. She has many years of experience in retreat and spiritual direction ministry. Her previous ministries included serving as a member of the HM Leadership Team, as director of Villa Maria Retreat Center, as faculty in secondary, college and medical school education and as Vice-president of mission and ministry in health care administration.

Melinda
Smith, MD originally hails from North Dakota and has recently retired from
private practice, as an obstetrician/gynecologist, after serving the Youngstown
area for 36 years. She is a graduate of Creighton University and the University
of North Dakota School of Medicine and is a Professor of Clinical Obstetrics
and Gynecology at Northeast Ohio Medical University. She is a trained retreat and spiritual
director who completed her studies at the Ignatian Spirituality Institute of
John Carroll University. She currently
serves as the Chair of the Board of VMESC, helps with the OCIA team at her
parish, and has been blessed to be an Associate of the Sisters of the Humility
of Mary for nearly 20 years.
Registration:
If you would like to register for this or any of our programs, there are several easy ways to do so.
You may:
• click the "Register" link located at the bottom of this page
• call 724-964-8886 to speak with a member of our friendly staff
• complete and mail a printable registration form along with your payment to:
Villa Maria Education and Spirituality Center
2067 Evergreen Road
P.O. Box 424
Villa Maria, PA 16155
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