Sapiential Christianity
Entering the Mystery of Divine Love, Resting in the Heart
A Weekend Retreat immersed in Scripture, Centering Prayer, and the Christian Wisdom Tradition
with
Father Bill Sheehan & The Rev. Vincent Pizzuto, PhD
Friday, June 25 – Sunday, June 27
Retreat Theme The Christian sapiential tradition speaks of two kinds of knowing: “participatory” knowing which is the intimate kind of knowing we can only realize through subjective experience, and “objective” knowing that arises from study and fact finding. The scriptures can never be fully understood objectively, from the outside looking in, because they were written for participants, not spectators, and thus to apprehend their deepest meaning, we must allow them to draw us in and inward.
This weekend retreat will explore what it means to encounter Christianity not simply as a body of beliefs to affirm (objective knowing), but as a wisdom tradition that draws us into deeper intimacy with God (participatory knowing). Rooted in the ancient Christian understanding of sapiential wisdom, this weekend retreat invites us to rediscover Scripture as a living word through which Christ meets us, speaks to the depths of our being, and draws us into the mystery of divine love. Through the practice of Centering Prayer and imaginative Lectio Divina we will approach the biblical text not merely to understand what it says as outsiders, but to listen for the One who speaks to us through it as participants, allowing the word to become a path of prayer, transformation, and interior communion.
Jointly led by Fr. Bill Sheehan of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, and Fr. Vincent Pizzuto, Rector of St. Columba’s, they will introduce the psychological and spiritual dimensions of contemplative prayer through the teachings of Fr. Thomas Keating and guide participants in exploring Scripture as an invitation participation in the life of Christ. With ample time for Centering Prayer, guided reflection, and extended contemplative silence, we will illuminate the relationship between the living Word of Scripture and the interior silence open us more fully to the mystery of divine indwelling.
Father Bill Sheehan, OMI has broad experience in pastoral ministry as a pastor and in marriage counseling. He also served in the Office of Lay Ministry, Archdiocese of Miami, Florida. He has ministered to clergy as Director of Ministry to Priests, Archdiocese of Miami, Florida and has served as provincial of the Oblates Eastern America Province as well as Oblate Formation Director and Novice Director.
Fr. Sheehan has an MA in Formative Spirituality from Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA. Since 1983, Fr. Sheehan has been involved with Contemplative Outreach founded by Fr. Thomas Keating, O.C.S.O. During that time, he has led many Centering Prayer workshops and retreats in different parts of the country. In the last several years, he has participated in 11th Step Retreats bringing to this retreat experience, the practice of Centering Prayer as well as the Welcoming Prayer practice.
The Rev. Vincent Pizzuto, PhD is Professor of New Testament Studies and Christian Mysticism in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of San Francisco. As an Episcopal priest he serves as Rector of St. Columba’s Episcopal Church and Retreat House in Inverness, California where he works for the advancement of contemplative Christianity. He has published and presented internationally in the areas of New Testament exegesis, ecological discipleship, inter-faith dialogue, Christian mysticism, and the phenomena of Near-death Experiences. His second book Contemplating Christ: The Gospels and the Interior Life (Liturgical Press, 2018) was translated into Spanish, Contemplar a Cristo: Los Evangelios y la vida interior, (Desclée De Brouwer) in 2022 and will be available in Chinese 《 凝視基督：福音與內在生命》 (Kuangchi Cultural Group) late in 2026. Fr. Vincent’s current research explores the metaphysical implications of near-death experiences from a cross-disciplinary perspective.
