Henri Nouwen and His Ministry
of Presence and Absence
PRESENTED
BY WIL HERNANDEZ
Saturday,
August 25
EVENT FULL
Henri Nouwen, without a doubt, gifted people with his
very presence. But while he valued presence as a key focus in our ministry of
companioning others on their journey, he also sought to equalize it with the
need to employ the ministry of absence. Nouwen believed that, at times, we need
to learn how to leave so that the Spirit can freely come and do his unhindered
work in people. Through this retreat/workshop, Nouwen will guide us on how to
integrate the seeming polarities of presence and absence in our ministry with,
to, and for others.
Wil Hernandez, PhD, Obl. OSB, is a retreat leader and certified
spiritual director who conducts classes, seminars, lectures focusing on the
spirituality of Henri Nouwen all across the country and abroad. He teaches at
Spring Arbor (Mich.) University, and directs its Master of Arts in Spiritual
Formation and Leadership online program. Wil is the author of a trilogy on
Nouwen, the latest of which is entitled “Henri Nouwen and Spiritual Polarities:
A Life of Tension” out of which this one-day retreat will be based. His website
is: www.nouwenlegacy.com.
“I admire and trust Wil Hernandez’s framing of Henri
Nouwen’s thought in terms of his natural ability to hold would-be tensions in a
very creative balance. Nouwen lived and loved paradox, and knew there was a new
wisdom to be had if we held both sides of difficult questions face to face. He
invariably made both faces shine with a new brilliance.”
Richard Rohr, OFM, Center
for Action and Contemplation
“Henri Nouwen is our generation’s Kierkegaard. Like
Kierkegaard, he helps introduce us to ourselves. Wil Hernandez aids us in the
next step; he wonderfully introduces us to Henri Nouwen. You won’t be
disappointed in this book.”
Ron Rolheiser, president,
Oblate School of Theology and
author of The Holy Longing