This program accepts only 20 participants. 

Sign up NOW to reserve your spot

Join the Brothers and Sisters of St. John and other Catholic young adults June 18-28 and discover God in the beauty of the Alaskan wilderness. The days take the rhythm of the liturgical observances of the Community of St. John. Everyone will spend two full days hiking and camping in different, pristine wilderness locations. We will spend another two days finishing the first half of the institute with an overnight backpacking adventure on Crow Pass Trail, part of the historic Iditarod trail.

Please be aware, the hiking we will partake in consists of highly strenuous, technical routes such as crossing boulder fields. At times, we will hike without marked trails (back-country) and on uneven terrain with steep elevation gains for several hours. Additionally, participants should be able to carry a backpack filled with personal and group gear weighing about 40 pounds while hiking. At different points during the hike the weather conditions can range from 80 degrees and sunny to 30 degrees and sleet. There is no cell phone service. The camp sites have no facilities. You must be in shape and fit enough to walk steeply uphill, continuously for 3 miles, carrying a 40 pound backpack. A good attitude is required.

When we return from the wilderness, we will continue our institute at Holy Spirit Center, on the hillside overlooking Anchorage. The days are dynamic and thought-provoking. We will explore this year’s theme: “The Pursuit of Goodness: What About it Makes Life Worth Living?”. This is your chance to discern your place as a young adult in the church as well as to search for truth and why it is important. Participants can expect to share a bedroom with another person and to use shared bathrooms. Meals will be provided.

If you have any questions please email Ilona and Michael via eagleeyealaska@gmail.com

Cast off the distractions of your life and learn to soar with Eagle Eye!

We invite teens, ages 16-18, to embark on an 8 day summer session full of fun, friendship, recreation, prayer, and study. Our retreat will be on the monastery grounds of the Community of St. John in Princeville, IL and is led by Brothers and Sisters of St. John. For 16 summers, young people have gathered at the Eagle Eye Teen Summer Institute in Princeville, Illinois to search for what is most profound – God.

This summer, our classes will focus on the theme “The Pursuit of Goodness: What About it Makes Life Worth Living?“.  The classes, along with Mass, the Divine Office, and a Holy Hour each day, give teens the opportunity to grow closer to Christ and be formed in the truths of the faith. Campfires, sports, and recreation offer a chance to form deep friendships with other teens dedicated to growing in holiness.

We would love for you to join us this summer. We are limiting our acceptance to 35 young people, so please reserve your spot early! Delicious meals, lodging, camping fees, and study materials, as well as travel and expenses for the team of religious are included in the registration fee of $330. Please note – a discount will automatically be applied when multiple teens in the same family are registered together.

 If you have any questions about registration, please email Christine Friedrich via christine.friedrich.4@gmail.com

Sign up NOW to reserve your spot

We are eager to enter the twelfth year offering the Eagle Eye Summer Institute for Young Adults.  Eagle Eye is different than any other young adult retreat. Father Nathan Cromly of the Community of St. John launched Eagle Eye sixteen years ago with the idea to go as deep and as intense as we possibly can at all levels: prayer, formation, friendship, and Christian living. This program is destined to give those who want it, a taste of what it means to be truly Catholic and in love with Christ. For eight days, young adults, already strong in the understanding and practice of their faith, challenge themselves to a deeper appreciation and awareness of that faith.

The location was selected to meet the needs of young adults in a wide geographic area. The Institute was formerly held in Cincinnati, Ohio. For 2020, our Institute begins on Saturday, August 1st, with an invigorating outdoor experience. After a two day scenic adventure hiking through Indiana’s rugged hills, ridges and fog-shrouded ravines, we will continue our journey at Mount Saint Francis Center for Spirituality through Sunday, August 9th. Come and experience the natural beauty and solitude of nature found at this southern Indiana retreat center situated on 400 acres. Sit by the lake, walk the trails, and view beauty in God’s creation.
 
While at the retreat center, our classes focus on this year’s “The Pursuit of Goodness: What About it Makes Life Worth Living?”  The young adult participants will be led in Philosophy and Theology classes by religious from the Community of St. John, along with holy Mass, prayer, adoration, recreation and quiet time as part of the daily schedule.

Please contact Kathy via kathykimar@gmail.com with any questions.