Life-Giving Wounds Retreat

The Life-Giving Wounds Retreat is a unique three-day retreat for adults (18+) who are the children of divorced or separated parents. Through reflection, discussion, and prayer, attendees will come to a greater understanding of the wound of divorce and its effects, advice concerning love and trust of others, and an experience of Christ and faith that will lead to greater self-knowledge and healing.

Topics covered, include:

• Finding Our Deepest Identity
• Faith and Our Relationship with God
• Love, Dating, and the Sacrament of Marriage
• Loneliness
• Anger and Anxiety
• False Guilt and Shame
• Forgiveness and Reconciliation
• Family Boundaries
• The Christian Meaning of Suffering
• Healing and The Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist
• And More!

This retreat is open to students at New York University and neighboring academic institutions. It will be run by the Life-Giving Wounds traveling retreat team and the Dominican Friars of the Province of Saint Joseph, who run The Catholic Center at NYU.

Cost is $40.

For more about the retreat and the Life-Giving Wounds traveling retreat team apostolate see their website: www.lifegivingwounds.org 

For all other inquiries, please email the chaplain of The Catholic Center at NYU: chaplain@catholiccenternyu.org.

Retreat Schedule:

April 3, Friday 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM

April 4, Saturday 8:30 AM to 8:30 PM (includes a light breakfast, refreshments, lunch, and dinner); there will also be an opportunity for the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Eucharistic Adoration.

April 5, Sunday 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM (includes light breakfast, refreshments, and lunch); Sunday Mass will be part of the retreat.

Retreat Led by The Life-Giving Wounds Traveling Retreat Team:

Daniel Meola, Ph.D.

Retreat Leader, Presenter, and Small Group Leader

Daniel Meola is an adult child of divorce who earned his Ph.D. in Theology of Marriage and Family from the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family in Washington, D.C. While studying at the Institute, he helped faculty and other experts create Recovering Origins, a unique pastoral initiative to heal adult children of divorce. He has been leading Recovering Origins retreats since 2015 in the Archdiocese of Washington, and in 2018 he founded the Life-Giving Wounds traveling retreat team to spread Recovering Origins around the country.

Dan has over fifteen years of experience running retreats and giving presentations to various groups, including for youth, young adults, engaged couples, and families. He currently works at the Saint John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, D.C. where he facilitates evangelization and catechesis events for people of all ages. He and his wife, Bethany, have been married since 2011 and live in Bowie, MD, with their daughter Zelie-Louise. They are members of Teams of Our Lady, an international marriage apostolate.

Michael Corsini, MTS

Musician and Presenter

Michael Corsini is a husband and father of five. It’s this vocation that gives life to everything he does. Michael is an artist, musician, speaker and retreat leader. He believes that his mission is to help people experience the powerful love of God through an authentic encounter with beauty.  

Michael is a graduate of Ringling School of Art and Design and has a Master of Theological Studies from the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family in Washington, D.C. He also spent five years as a member of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal.  

Michael is a gifted worship leader and has led music for thousands of holy hours, masses and retreats for nearly two decades. He has worked in post-abortion healing ministry for many years, as well as many other kinds of healing retreats. Michael has recently released his second worship record and is completing a large altarpiece depicting the vision of Our Lady of Mt Carmel at Fatima.

His music and art can be found here: www.michaelcorsini.com.

Teresa Swick

Presenter and Small Group Leader

Teresa is a native of Rockville, MD, and the fourth of six kids. While she was growing up, her parents’ marriage was very rocky and included a period of separation. She has always had an interest in people, emotions, and helping people know God better and be as happy as they can be.

Teresa earned her B.A. in psychology with a minor in theology at the University of Notre Dame. Since graduation, she has served the Youth Leadership Foundation of DC, Centro Tepeyac Women's Center, George Mason University's Catholic Campus Ministry, the Saint John Paul II National Shrine, and the USCCB. She also spent 8 months in Peru, volunteering at a home for sick children. Her favorite job was serving as a campus minister, but her work at the John Paul II Shrine comes in close second, since that's where she met her husband, Joe. She and Joe welcomed their first child, John Paul, into the world in June of 2019. Teresa is excited to be a part of the Life-Giving Wounds ministry because she believes that her experiences of hurt and healing give her something to offer those who are going through similar experiences to her own.