The retreat starts with Dinner on Sunday and ends after breakfast on the following Sunday 

Spiritual direction or spiritual companionship is a process guided by the Holy Spirit in which two people enter into a unique conversation. The spiritual director or guide is trained to listen in a particular way to hear where God is present and acting in the life of another. This “holy listening” approaches each person’s life and story as sacred. 

Dave Roncolata 

As a spiritual director, David Roncolato has been accompanying people in their spiritual journey for over three decades.  He has helped to lead a variety of retreat experiences from eight-day silent retreats, weekend youth retreats and retreats for religious educators.  For the past four years he served as one of the faculty for the spiritual director formation program at the Villa Maria Education and Spirituality Center in Villa Maria Pennsylvania.

In the past, David served as a fulltime Catholic Youth Minister and a Catholic Campus Minister.  He has coordinated a weeklong mission trip to Appalachia Kentucky for many years.  This mission effort began with Young People Who Care mission over 50 years ago.

David retired in 2022 from his alma mater, Allegheny College, where he worked in various capacities.  He directed the Office of Civic Engagement, the director of the Global Citizen Scholars program and taught Religious Studies and Community & Justice Studies.

He holds a Masters in Christian Spirituality from Creighton University and a Ph.D. in Theology from Duquesne University. 

David is married to Reverend Sarah D. Roncolato, a retired United Methodist Pastor.  They have four married children and seven grandboys.

Mary Ann Nicholls 

Mary Ann lives in DuBois, PA with her husband David of 51 years.  She is the mother of three married daughters, and grandmother to four grandchildren. 

She recently retired as Pastoral Associate for Holy Spirit Parish, which she served for 12 years.

Prior to moving to DuBois from Irwin, PA fourteen years ago, she served as the Director of the Spiritan Retreat Center in Bethel Park, as a campus minister at Duquesne University and St. Vincent College where she was also the Assistant Dean of Students, and as an academic librarian and p/t faculty member at Seton Hill University.  She also taught at Duquesne University and La Roche University; currently she teaches online courses for the University of Dayton Pastoral Ministry Program and is a Spiritual Director.

She earned a BA in Humanities from La Roche University, a Masters in Library Science from the University of Pittsburgh, and a Masters of Divinity from St. Vincent Seminary.   

Sr. Ruth Ann is a Spiritual Director and Retreat Director.  She provides spiritual direction on an ongoing basis as well as spiritual companioning/direction during retreats at Bethany Retreat Center.  Sr. Ruth Ann has her degree in Religious Studies from St. Francis University. She is also a graduate of Shalem’s Spiritual Guidance Program.