History

The first Pre-Super Bowl Retreat was held in January of 1980 at the Dominican Priory in River Forrest, IL USA. The Priory was built in 1926 and is owned by the St. Thomas Aquinas Priory at Dominican University. The three story Priory has 12 bedrooms with individual bathrooms and a common room and sits on a 7.6 acre property at Division Street and Harlem Avenue in River Forrest adjacent to Fenwick High School, a Catholic Preparatory High School in Oak Park, IL USA.

Founded on the principles of compassion and support, the Pre Super- Bowl AA Spiritual has its roots in the belief that recovery is a holistic journey that encompasses both sobriety and spiritual growth. This retreat was founded by Fr. Martin McCormick (1926 – 2008) who was a Dominican Friar and former Fenwick and Regina Dominican High School teacher as well as a Corpsman in the Army and Marine during WWII prior to being ordained.

In 1980 Fr. Marty was head of the addiction ministry at Alexian Bros Hospital, recognized that many men in AA required additional support in developing a meaningful relationship with their Higher Power – due to not knowing who God is, doubt of His existence, anger due to His perceived silence, or from simply feeling forgotten or not valued – to name a few.

 With this objective in mind, Fr. Marty envisioned a spiritual gathering that could help alcoholics totally disconnect from their daily routine. By prioritizing self-care, spiritual growth and camaraderie retreatants can cultivate a healthier and fulfilling life. He believed the serene natural setting of the Priory alone provided a therapeutic environment to boost
mental and emotional health.

In support of this plan he developed an incredible team of individuals, from Spiritual, Life and Addiction Counselors along with Drug and Alcohol Specialists /Doctors who have volunteered their time and expertise to offer insights, counseling, support and possible future assistance as needed. This remarkable team emerged from a collective desire to create a nurturing environment where individuals could share their experiences, have questions answered, find strength and comfort in a safe AA community while enjoying some often-needed downtime and rest.

In planning the retreat, Father Marty worked with Evangelical Reverend William E. “Bill” Miller (1943-2019) of the Haymarket Center, a community- based, non-profit provider of substance use and mental health treatment
on Sangamon Avenue in Chicago, IL USA. The Center founded in 1975 provides 30 specialized programs for detox, addiction, residential and outpatient services that serves 18,000 clients per year. Rev Miller authored a series of booklets on each AA step and other addiction topics that he handed out to attendees each year.

We have continued this tradition for over forty-four consecutive years. The retreat location has changed venues several times throughout the years from the Dominican Priory in River Forest, Techny Towers in Northbrook,
IL USA to its current location at Maximilian Kolbe retreat center “Marytown” – Libertyville IL. Even though this a Spiritually Based Retreat its annual theme is always
based on one of the 12 steps. The upcoming 2025 retreat will be our 46 annual retreat which will be on Step 3 – “Made a Decision to Turn Our Will and Our Lives Over to the Care of God as We Understood Him”.

Through our dedication to fostering personal growth and healing by both the counselors, speakers, and core retreatants this retreat has continued to thrive and grow by helping our retreatants on their journey of self- discovery via a meaningful and trusting relationship with their Higher
Power. As we continue to welcome individuals from all walks of life, we remain steadfast in our mission to support and empower each person intheir unique path to recovery.

At the Pre Super-Bowl AA Spiritual retreat, we are committed to creating a welcoming and enriching weekend event for individuals on their journey toward long term sobriety and spiritual growth. Our carefully crafted retreats offer a blend of camaraderie, fellowship, fun, support, education as well as time for personal reflection. This 2-day retreat is intentionally scheduled at the beginning of the year to help each attendee kick of the new year with the opportunity to deepen their commitment to recovery while providing a setting to refresh our spiritual practices into our everyday lives. We believe in the power of community, connection and
prayer, and our mission is to reenergize all attendees on their sobriety walk so that they can find True Peace, Joy and Character Growth via arenewed relationship with your Higher Power.

Please join us as we come together to inspire, uplift, and nurture oneanother on the journey to a spiritually fulfilled and sober life.