Teacher’s Retreat: August 6 or 17

Teaching is not just a job but a vocation, a calling to follow the example of Jesus, our Teacher, in nourishing the minds and hearts of students, that they may flourish. With this in mind, all teachers are invited to the Jesuit Retreat House on August 6, 17, or 19 for a retreat facilitated by John Ropar, Ph.D. The theme for the retreat will be “Mindful, Faithful Teachng:  Ignatian Spirituality in the Classroom.” Whether your classroom is in a public or parochial setting, you will find space in this day to   renew your soul for the mighty call you are living! Bring your staff, or come on your own, and get in the right spirit for the new school year through reflection and conversation. The day retreat includes time for presentations, lunch, individual prayer, and staff discussions. The time is 9:00 am - 3:00 pm. Cost is $30/person. Please register online if you are signing up individually, call us if you would like to schedule your group retreat.

About the Retreat Facilitator: John Ropar Ph.D.

After graduating from John Carroll University in 1972 he returned there, taught and coached     basketball for twelve years in Catholic high schools. In 1985 he entered the Master’s program in Community Counseling at Duquesne University, completing his degree in 1987. From 1985 to 1990 he worked for Circle C Group Homes where he was a program director for two years, then clinical director for his final three years. In 1990 he began his doctoral work at the University of Akron in Counselor Education. His program led him back to John Carroll for his doctoral       internship where he was hired in the Counseling Center after completing his internship. He       became the center’s director in 1997 and remained there until the spring of 2012 when he left and began a private practice in Hudson, Ohio. Dr. Ropar has completed a two year training program in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius and has been a spiritual director for eleven years. He has traveled to Ecuador (14 trips), El Salvador (3 trips), Honduras, Rwanda, and to many areas in the United States with student groups and individually in support of issues of social justice and faith.