Building the Kingdom Through Sacrament, Prayer, and Community
New Wine in an Old Wine Skin
July 7, 2026
It is with great joy that I announce Br. Paul Culver, O.S.B., will assume the role of Director at Subiaco Retreat House as of September 1, 2026. Br. Paul has lived at St. Benedict Monastery since October 2015. He transferred from St. Andrew Abbey in Cleveland, OH, where he lived from January 2011 to October 2015. For the past 3 years, Br. Paul has worked closely with me, assisting with our weekend youth retreat program and Confirmation Retreats.
Br. Paul was born in Ohio and grew up there and in Florida. After graduating from high school, he joined the U.S. Air Force, where he served his country for 10 years as an Aircraft Maintenance Scheduler. After his honorable discharge from the military, he completed a BS in Industrial Technology at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. For 15 years, during and after the military, Br. Paul had stopped practicing his Catholic Faith. He began practicing it again in 2003 and experienced a call to a life of prayer devoted to Jesus Christ. In 2008, while driving to see his parents, he was praising God and heard the words “Become a monk.” It was then that he began his discernment of the monastic life.
Br. Paul’s life experience, his love for Jesus and the Catholic Faith, and a desire for youth to discover and deepen their faith has prepared him for this new position. While continuing our focus on prayer, community, and Sacrament, Br Paul will bring a renewed commitment to Benedictine hospitality and spirituality. Introducing aspects of prayer and the rhythm of our monastic life. Youth will have the chance to learn and practice our daily prayer and Scripture reading, while relaxing and meeting new friends in the comfort and safety of Subiaco Retreat House. I ask you to join us as we pray and bless Br. Paul as he begins this new ministry.
As for myself, it is with a bit of sadness that I begin to turn over the operation and direction of Subiaco, but I can assure you there are no regrets. I retired from Notre Dame 3 years ago now and at 67 I feel myself slowing down. I am sure there are more than a few who have wondered if I would wake up while we prayed the Rosery on Friday night or while I read a guided meditation.
I was blessed to have had the opportunity to learn from and work alongside Fr. Dan Holman and Mary Cummings. These two wonderful and devoted people were truly pioneers in youth ministry. They began at a time before all the books, programs, and internet resources. Through their deep faith and love of youth, they grew a small 26 bed retreat house into the Subiaco we have now. They laid the foundation of a program that has lasted 52 years and now with that same devotion, Br. Paul will help carry this tradition into the future.
I will continue to be involved with the operation of Subiaco. I will manage booking weekend retreats, confirmation retreats, and maintain the calendar for rentals. I will help with preparing meals and running a session or two. Of course I will still produce the Sunday video show.
As we transition, please contact me, Br. Marty, with reservation question, and facilities inquires. I will also handle billings. Contact Br. Paul if you have questions about programing or if we should know about something happening among your youth.
In closing let me thank all the youth leaders I have met over these past 26 years. The blessings I have received through you and this ministry are innumerable. I have been blessed and fortunate to have been part of your life and the life of your young people. I can say you have all become friends in faith. May God bless you all. Thank you.
Announcements 2026-2027
Important Pricing Update
We want to thank everyone for your continued support of Subiaco Retreat House. Since 2021, we have intentionally kept our retreat rates unchanged despite steadily increasing costs. However, rising expenses for food, utilities, maintenance, and other operational needs require us to make a modest adjustment to our fee schedule. The new rates will become effective on August 1, 2026. While we regret the need for this increase, it is necessary to ensure we can continue to provide a safe, comfortable, and faith-filled retreat experience for all who visit Subiaco. You will find the new fees posted on the Accommodations and Facilities page. Thank you for understanding and being part of our mission to help young people connect with their Catholic faith through prayer, community, and Sacrament.
Please continue to refer to the website for upcoming announcements and updates from Subiaco Retreat House as we begin our 52nd year of Benedictine hospitality for youth and all who visit us here on the “hill.”
Subiaco Youth Retreat House
A Catholic retreat house facilitated by an experienced staff of Benedictine monks and lay people. We offer weekend and weekday retreats for parish youth groups and high schools. The retreat house is available for rent to religious and educational organizations seeking a place to facilitate their programs. We also welcome community organizations and families looking for a comfortable event venue.
Come Away and Be Renewed
Resting on the highest natural point in Oakland County, Michigan, Subiaco Retreat House is a haven for young people to gather and reconnect with their faith in God, themselves, and each other. For over 46 years, Subiaco Retreat House, located on the grounds of St. Benedict Monastery in Oxford, Michigan, has been serving the youth of the greater Detroit metropolitan area and beyond.
Be Still and Know That I am God…
Named for the place in Central Italy where the young St. Benedict sought refuge and peace from times of confusion, Subiaco is where youth can find shelter from the conflicting voices and noise in their lives. Today, more than ever, youth yearn for a place to step back, relax, and rediscover their relationship with Jesus Christ and his Church. They seek a place to become the authentic person they were created to be. A person made out of love in the image of God, to love others as Jesus loved and ultimately to seek and find the Christ within themselves.
Subiaco provides a place of peace and a space for prayer where young people can nurture their spiritual lives in an atmosphere of comfort and hospitality. After a retreat at Subiaco, young people often comment, “Subiaco is a place where I can experience and know God’s presence.”
A Retreat House
Subiaco Youth Retreat House is just that, a house. Our retreat house was designed and built with youth in mind. Subiaco is not a remodeled convent or camp-style cabin. Accommodations are dorm-style rooms for 4-6 people, each with a bathroom. The remodeled kitchen and dining room invite youth to relax and feel at home. The facilities also allow other groups to create a unique, personalized meeting and event environment.
“Subiaco is easily one of the most unforgettable experiences for our youth group. This year was my second year going, and yet again, the brothers at the monastery never fail to bring out the best in our group. The retreat brings us together, allowing us to share sincere, open discussions in small groups, encouraging us to show our appreciation to each other, and providing us with peaceful surroundings and such a breathtaking church to help us find ourselves and our faith. Looking out over nature through the church’s huge windows during adoration and seeing the warm hospitality of the brothers helped bring me closer to God than I’ve felt in a long time. And most of all, being able to be with my friends, talk, laugh, and explore faith together without distraction is something I will never forget and forever be grateful for!”
Youth comments from Christ the Good Shepherd, Lincoln Park