January 4 - 9, 2026

Black Rock Retreat Center in Quarryville, PA

Taught by Bill Donaghy

What's Included:

At a time of great concern and confusion over the fundamental meanings of sexuality, gender, marriage and family, this course will reexamine the main themes and proposals of the following works of St. John Paul II: On the Christian Family in the Modern World, On the Dignity & Vocation of Women, Letter to Women, and Letter to Families. The writings of Pope Benedict XVI, in particular the Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Collaboration of Men and Women in the Church and in the World, as well as the writings of Pope Francis, in particular his Joy of Love, will be used supplementally. Particular attention will be given throughout the course to the Wednesday Catecheses on the theology of the body by St. John Paul II, which will serve as a watermark behind the entire weeklong study.

Contemporary concepts and ideas regarding gender, marriage, and family will be alluded to and juxtaposed with the Christian anthropological vision of St. John Paul II at given points in the course.

All our week-long retreats include:

Five days of learning & interactive lecture (30 hours of master’s level instruction)
Fantastic workbook so you can focus on receiving vs. note-taking
Daily Mass, adoration, and confession
Accommodations & delicious meals
Time for relaxation and networking
Gorgeous grounds to soak in God’s natural beauty
Optional round trip shuttle from Philadelphia International Airport

"Image by Giovanni Portelli / The Catholic Weekly"

"Images by Giovanni Portelli / The Catholic Weekly"

Meet Your Instructor

Bill Donaghy, M.A.

Bill Donaghy, M.A., is an instructor, international speaker, and curriculum specialist for the Theology of the Body Institute Certification Program. Bill worked for nearly a decade teaching theology at Malvern Preparatory School as well as Immaculata University, while giving talks, retreats, and conferences for the Theology of the Body Institute. He has worked in the fields of mission and evangelization since 1999 and has given talks and retreats to bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated men and women, and the lay faithful throughout the United States, as well as Canada, Mexico, Chile, Australia, and Papua New Guinea. He and his wife, Rebecca, live just outside of Philadelphia, PA with their four children.

Registration cost:

$1395*

Pay before October 6, 2025 for $100 off. Use code "EARLYBIRD" at checkout.

Please use an email unique to EACH registrant.

Pay Now

Pay Later

*We understand that some people would like to have their place of work or some other entity pay part or all of their registration fees. If this is you, please use the "Pay Later" button to register for the course. Afterward, included in the email with information about the course (see ** below) is a payment link and instructions that you can forward to your place of work.

**If you do not receive the email with information about the course (different from the receipt) on the day you register, please reach out to Hannah Shafer at hannah@tobinstitute.org.

***Please register with an email address that is unique to you, and please make sure to use that email address for any future registrations with us. This will help us to maintain accuracy of your course completion information.

Travel Information

This information is provided to help you research your travel options to and from the course. Please do not book your flights until you have registered AND paid your registration fee to secure your spot in the course.

If you are flying and would like to utilize the optional shuttle, please book your flights according to these guidelines:

Please book your flights to arrive at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
Please book your incoming flight to arrive no later than 1:30 PM on Sunday, January 4, 2026
Please book your outgoing flight to leave no earlier than 4:30 PM on Friday, January 9, 2026

There is only one shuttle from the airport on Sunday, January 4th and one shuttle back to the airport on Friday, January 9th. If you are unable to secure flights according to the above parameters, you will be responsible for getting yourself to the retreat center (either via Uber, Lyft, renting a car, or by some other means).

More information is provided in the email which you will receive upon registering, but the above should be sufficient for the purposes of looking at flight options.

Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Disclaimer