Bernadette Rudolph
Bernadette Rudolph, MA, MS is Director of Facilitation and Strategic Partnerships at Cranaleith. She has earned degrees in the liberal arts (BA, St. John’s College, Annapolis), religion and religious education (MA, Catholic University, Washington DC) and educational leadership (MS, Marywood University, Scranton), as well as a certificate in spiritual direction (Cranaleith Spiritual Center, Philadelphia).
Bernadette is a visionary thinker whose practical lens leads to results. She is an engaging presenter and creative thought partner. She is committed to welcome, mercy and respectful dialogue. She knows from experience that, if people come together in true partnership, they will find themselves creating lasting solutions no one could have imagined on their own.
Secular Expertise: Bernadette has experience in the areas of strategic planning, appreciative inquiry, processing difficult experiences and team building. She has in-depth knowledge of gardening and sustainability, CliftonStrengths, deep listening for communal decision-making, team growth and self-care practices. All of her work in these areas in rooted in compassion, nonviolence and a belief in the power of life. These provide her with an invitational tone that is welcoming, safe and encouraging.
Spiritual Expertise: In Bernadette’s current ministry, she facilitates deep listening to God’s Spirit in one-on-one spiritual direction sessions, with teams, parishes and retreat groups. Her ability in leading communal discernment has been enriched by three years of animating synodality around the country. She is a Biblical scholar, who has written reflections on the entire cycle of Sunday readings and has taught many courses on the Bible. Bernadette has also led retreats on a variety of themes, including spiritual practices, eco-spirituality, hope, resilience, the Mercy charism, racial healing and handling adversity.
Bernadette has been a volunteer teacher on the Navajo Reservation, a middle school and high school teacher of literature, religion and math, a pastoral minister in a parish setting, a K-8 principal, adjunct faculty at several universities and the Director for Family and Community Development for the Diocese of Scranton. Bernadette is a certified spiritual director and member of Spiritual Directors International. She also serves on the board of the National Association for Lay Ministry and chairs its Standards and Formation Committee.
Bernadette enjoys hiking with her husband John, long talks, feeding people delicious food and creating colorful gardens with plenty of tomatoes.
Deep within us all, there is an amazing inner sanctuary of the soul, a holy place, a Divine center, a speaking Voice to which we may continually return. Eternity is at our hearts, pressing upon our time-worn lives, warming us with intimations of an astounding destiny, calling us home unto Itself.
Thomas R. Kelly, Testament of Devotion
Events with Bernadette Rudolph
Individual Virtual Directed RetreatOpen Dates
Stay at home or hang out in the mountains or at the beach in solitude, silence, and prayer. Then, log in once/day on Zoom to meet with one of our experienced Spiritual Directors. This spiritual director or companion will give direction to your reflection based on your needs coming into the retreat. Day and evening hours are offered for spiritual direction and all conversations are confidential. Please note: This is a virtual retreat and does not include lodging or meals provided by Cranaleith.
Solitude Day (self-catered)Open Dates
This registration is for a single onsite day retreat at Cranaleith. You will have access to a private room as well as the beautiful grounds of Cranaleith. The retreatant remains in solitude and chooses what to do/reflect on during the retreat time. You may wish to focus on Scripture or a spiritual book; you may choose to think through a problem or a decision you are facing. You may choose to just rest and be still. You also have the option of meeting with a spiritual director. Please request that on the interest form and be aware that a donation…
Open Dates
Give yourself some time before Christmas to be filled with joy! Amidst the busy-ness of the holiday season and amidst all that drags down your spirits, God wants you to know that there is love, mercy and peace right now. The prophet Isaiah proclaimed God’s presence in the world so beautifully that we proclaim his words even now each Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We will look at passages from Isaiah to connect his hopeful message to your life today. With each passage there will be time for you to reflect. There will also be prayer and discussion (to whatever…
Open Dates
On Demand Programs from Cranaleith: Purchase a copy of Bernadette Rudolph’s presentations for this program, presented online in July, 2023. You will receive a pdf of links to the videos from each of four sessions. You may then watch the videos at your leisure. Intimacy and Inspiration in the Psalms If there is one primary underlying assumption of the book of Psalms, it is the potential efficacy of prayer. Adele Berlin and Marc Zvi Brettler For thousands of years, Jews and Christians have found that God “is near to all who call” (Psalm 145:18). This intimacy is on full display…
Individual Directed Retreat (self-catered)Flexible Dates
A limited number of spaces are available each week for those interested in coming onto our campus for 1-5 days/nights. Staff and retreatants will follow local and CDC guidelines. Retreat is a time for solitude, silence and prayer. You may wish to focus on Scripture or a spiritual book; you may choose to think through a problem or a decision you are facing. You may choose to just rest and be still. In addition, you will meet daily with a staff member. This spiritual director – also called a spiritual companion – will give direction to your reflection based on…
Laudato Si’: Vision and Reality Ten Years LaterNovember 2, 2025
“What [we] need is an ecological conversion, whereby the effects of [our] encounter with Jesus Christ become evident in [our] relationship with the world around [us]. Living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience.” (LS, 217) Gather with us to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Laudato Si’, the watershed document that continues to inspire and challenge us. Our panel will reflect on its far-reaching impact, explore the urgent work still before us, and consider how Pope Francis’ vision remains a guiding…
Overnight, Silent, Directed Retreat November 7-8, 2025November 7 - 8, 2025
Often life is so full, we cannot hear God. Or maybe we are busy, busy, busy and our spirits need some Sabbath rest. What might happen if you took twenty-four hours to enter into the quiet and stillness with God? Allow yourself the opportunity for spiritual renewal. The retreat begins at 7 p.m. on Friday with a communal prayer service. You will have time to meet with an experienced spiritual director who will listen to you and guide you in making the most of this sacred time with God. The rest of the evening and the next day are yours…
A Pilgrimage of Sorrow and HopeNovember 11, 2025
Our lives are a pilgrimage: paths marked by heartbreak, but also by the stubborn, green leaves of renewal. In this program, we will invite you to travel — virtually, across continents and cultures — to places where grief is inscribed into land and story, and where hope is being born out of that very weight. Join us as we journey virtually to places scarred and sacred; listen to stories of pain and persistence; reflect and share about how we see suffering and the possibility of flourishing. By dwelling with brokenness — in all its diversity — and by witnessing the…