AATLIG National Retreat
“Love Covers Many Sins”
Jacksonville, Florida
(May 28-31, 2026)
The AATLIG National Retreat, themed “Love Covers Many Sins”, took place from May 28th to May 31st, 2026, in beautiful Jacksonville, Florida. A total of 30 participants attended, including priests, one Catholic, one Eastern Rite Catholic, and one Greek Orthodox. The four-day itinerary was structured around personal reconciliation, communal prayer, theological dialogue, and historical pilgrimage. Key events included individual spiritual talks, an evening healing service, an interactive panel question-and-answer session with the priests, and a travel excursion to two foundational shrines in nearby St. Augustine, Florida. A book table was also made available, with books from the True Life in God Messages, photo prints of Vassula’s hand-painted art, and other TLIG materials.
The retreat opened on Thursday night with a dinner aimed at fostering community fellowship.
Friday consisted of Divine Liturgy, several messages and reflections by the priests, and the praying of the Rosary. The priests dedicated blocks of time for individual confession combined with one-on-one spiritual talks.
On Saturday, participants made a pilgrimage south to historic St. Augustine to visit two major shrines. The first was the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche at Mission Nombre de Dios — “America’s Most Sacred Acre” — the historic site where the first parish Mass on North American soil was celebrated in 1565. Retreatants visited the ivy-covered chapel housing the statue of the nursing Mother of Jesus and walked the Rosary Garden.
The second stop was a self-guided tour of historic downtown St. Augustine, where participants could visit the St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine dedicated to the first Greek settlers who arrived in 1768. Attendees viewed the Byzantine-style frescoes in the St. Photios Chapel and toured the museum exhibits.
Upon return to the hotel, Holy Mass was celebrated, followed by a communal healing service consisting of prayers for physical and spiritual restoration and the laying on of hands by the priests. The day culminated in Eucharistic adoration.
The final day focused on Divine Liturgy and a highly interactive open forum in which the three priests answered questions. We were blessed to have four participants from the international youth prayer group. They enlivened the question-and-answer session with such enquiries as, "What kind of music do you like?" It was interesting to learn some personal details of the priests' lives.
Feedback:
“Praise be Jesus and Mary! Thank you so much for inviting me to the retreat. I received many blessings from the Lord. It was grace-filled. One of the things was the awareness of the presence of the Lord and Mother Mary. Everything went great. I wish I could stay for the entire retreat. Also, the three priests were so wonderful; I thank God from my heart for the priests- what a blessing! Jesus loves us so much! “ (Lindita K)
“On the positive side, the retreat was successful: well planned, well run. Good speakers. Good accommodation. Interesting side trip to St Augustine.” (James P)
“The Holy Spirit has always been exceptionally and powerfully present on every TLIG pilgrimage or retreat, and the Jacksonville retreat was no exception. It was like a family reunion in the Holy Spirit. My heartfelt thanks, as always, to all the volunteers and organizers.” (Eva K)
“The Southeast Region team organized an enjoyable retreat in Jacksonville, my first! The program, presentations, and excursions were awe-inspiring. Thank you, Jesus, Vassula, and True Life in God for my dear new friends!” (Terry C)
“The Jacksonville TLIG Retreat was a breath of fresh air. I particularly enjoyed the Confession, the Spiritual Direction, the Healing, and the Q&A sessions with our Priests. Our excursion to the charming and historical St. Augustine — walking the cobblestone streets, visiting the shrines, and enjoying lunch with friends — made a memorable day trip. The prayer time and fellowship with our TLIG Family were especially meaningful and joyful. I was especially blessed to attend this TLIG Prayer Retreat with my daughter and grandson — three generations worshiping and praising God together. It was enlightening and refreshing to hear from the youth who attended! Praise and thanksgiving for the worship, the fellowship, the lasting memories, and let’s not forget, the hard work of those who made this Retreat a reality!” (Bev B)
Vanessa Edwards
Southeast Regional Coordinator