Mary Litch

Mary is a former philosophy professor who has planned and executed many out-of-the-classroom learning experiences for her students. She has facilitated a retreat on spiritual practices for Quakers.  She is trained in wilderness first aid, and volunteered for several years as a docent leading outdoor travel events with Irvine Ranch Conservancy (in Orange, CA). She has spent the first six years of her retirement traveling on foot and horseback deep in the backcountry in federally-designated wilderness areas.

Upcoming Programs by Mary Litch

Experiencing Creation as CREATION

August 9 - 14, 2026
This outdoor-focused retreat aims to give participants the experience of God’s presence in the natural world. The retreat journey starts by introducing Franciscan (Catholic) theology, which emphasizes God’s immanence in the world. From there, we use a variety of indoor and outdoor exercises to build an attitude of gratitude for and mindfulness of the natural world, culminating in an outdoor exercise that leads participants to “step into Creation.” On the final retreat day, we use exercises based on Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment, Laudato Si, to examine the implications of God’s immanence in Creation on our actions.

Zoom gathering: The Wisdom of Wilderness: Experiencing the Healing Power of Nature

September 1 - 22, 2026
Zoom book discussion group. Register for the four-part series as a whole. Join us for four consecutive Tuesday evenings from 6-7:30pm Pacific Time for a discussion of Gerald May’s 2007 book The Wisdom of Wilderness: Experiencing the Healing Power of Nature. In this book, May describes his experiences in nature — what he learned about himself as a spiritual being and his relationship with God through solitude in a natural setting. It is hoped that participants in the book discussion series will want to try out camping “alone” in the backcountry for themselves. The first zoom session covers the Forward, Preface, and Chapters 1 and 2. Please read these chapters prior to the zoom meeting. During this first session, we will also cover details and offer advanced registration for the backcountry tent camping retreat. The discussion leader will be Mary Litch. For questions about the book discussion group content, contact the retreat leader at mlitch@stgertrudes.org.

“Pray + Work” Retreat

September 5 - 7, 2026

Join retreat leader Mary Litch for a combination spiritual retreat and work weekend as we put St. Gertrude’s famous raspberry patch “to bed” for the fall. Sessions will alternate between work in the patch, cutting back the raspberry canes, and exercises to help you explore the Mystery of Creation in light of your personal spiritual […]

Backcountry Tent Camping Retreat

September 25 - 27, 2026

Location: Fish Creek Group Site in Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest Gerald May’s book Wisdom of Wilderness is a natural lead-in to a backcountry tent camping retreat. We have reservations at Fish Creek Group Site, a very large, forested area with dozens of sites to set up a tent away from the other participants. Far enough […]