Spiritual Direction (virtual, one-on-one)
Open Dates
We are currently offering Spiritual Direction via telephone or web only. The recommended donation for one-on-one spiritual direction is $75. Registration for this program is used primarily to log payments.
Explore/Inquire About a Customized Personal Retreat
Open Dates
Benedictine Center
The experienced members of the Benedictine Center staff enjoy helping women and men like you find just the right blend of resources for their unique spiritual journeys. With a better sense of your preferences in terms of timing, special diets, accommodations and more, we will help you plan your retreat and gather any resources you might need, […]
Sustaining the Practice Retreat (3 nights or more)
Flexible Dates
Benedictine Center
Often people who are feeling called to integrate the disciplines of silence and spiritual practice into their lives choose a retreat of three nights or more. A Sustaining the Practice Retreat invites a person to set aside a significant window of time (between 3 and 7 nights) for renewal and growth. One can explore the riches of […]
Peace Retreat (2 nights)
Package Dates
Benedictine Center
A Peace Retreat helps you settle in to the calm that greets you at the monastery doors. Day 1 helps you familiarize yourself with the beauty and resources. Day 2 allows you the freedom to linger without travel. Day 3 allows you to ease back into normal life. The Peace Retreat helps you begin to feel […]
Quiet Retreat (1 night)
Package Dates
Benedictine Center
A Quiet Retreat gives you one night away from responsibilities. The room and three home-cooked meals are prepared with a personal touch. You are welcome but not obligated to join the Sisters for prayer. Take in the art, read, or walk the labyrinth as you choose. The time is yours. Some guests find it helpful to […]
Day of Prayer (no overnight)
Package Dates
Benedictine Center
A Day of Prayer is a simple way to step into some quiet. Enjoy a private room and whatever degree of solitude you prefer. Some guests join the Sisters for midday prayer and visit with them at lunch. Others prefer to journal, read, pray and walk the grounds at their leisure. The monastic library, art […]
Awakening the Spirit Within
With Gwen Pickering
September 20 - 21, 2024
Benedictine Center of St. Paul's Monastery
Everybody says that we are born in the image and likeness of God. And yet, we all forget the truth and gradually start to believe a series of lies, all based on the fundamental lie - that we must pretend to be somebody we are not, in order to get our needs met. As adults, most of what we do is driven by these sorts of unconscious, habitual assumptions. It is as if we are sleep-walking through our own lives. Real spirituality is about waking up. Waking up to who we were from the very beginning. In this retreat you will learn and experience the power of three practices: Deep Gratitude, The 5-Minute Examen, and the Welcoming Prayer. This retreat will guide you on a journey of self-discovery and renewal. Ready for deeper awakening? Join us!
2024-10-18 Sand, Symbol and Source
With Sheryl Lyndes Stowman, M. Div.
October 18 - 19, 2024
Benedictine Center
SAND, SYMBOL AND SOURCE A Soul Exploration We can come toward our own souls with a curious adventurousness, much like we would if we were traveling in a new country or solving a mystery. What’s here? What haven’t I noticed before? How am I feeling my heart’s desire or sensing my gut instincts as I travel here. What don’t I understand yet? In this retreat, we will take the time for a deeper exploration of your soul, in order to come into contact with what is present and unfolding. The methods we will use invite attunement to your inner experience, as you understand more about what blocks or expresses your soul’s aliveness. You may bring a question or challenge, or just a willingness to enter into the adventure of discovery. We call upon the loving Presence of our Source to support us and guide us, in ways that illuminate and open us to the possibilities we are ready for. We will use contemplative, playful and imaginative methods for our exploration. Beginning with meditation we create a space for listening, sensing and becoming aware. Through the imaginative method of playing with sand and symbol, you can enter into a time of […]
2024-11-01 A Time to Remember: A Retreat for Women Whose Mothers Have Died
With S. Joanne Dehmer SSND
November 1 - 2, 2024
Benedictine Center
We mourn the death of our mother all the days of our life. Whether our mother died this year or forty years ago, we grieve. Some of us grieve what we had and some of us grieve what never was in our relationship with our mother. This retreat offers women an opportunity to explore the significance of mother loss. Offered by the Loyola Spirituality Center at the Benedictine Center. Please call S. Joanne before registering at 651-641-0008 ext. 12.
2024-11-15: Centering Prayer Retreat
With Laurie Erickson and Gwen Pickering
November 15 - 17, 2024
Benedictine Center of St. Paul's Monastery
Centering Prayer and Lectio Divina Retreat In this silent retreat, you will experience a time of profound silence and praying the Scriptures as you enter into a deeper relationship with God and self. This retreat blends a rhythm of centering prayer, lectio divina, and prayer with the monastic community. There will be some time for mutual reflection on the practices. Spiritual Director Laurie Erickson will be facilitating the Centering Prayer and Lectio Divina Retreat, based on the teachings of Father Thomas Keating, OSB. There will be several 20 minute sits each day and time for quiet reflection and rest. Extended sessions of group centering prayer offer the opportunity to deepen your relationship with God and self. Enjoy the labyrinth, courtyard, walking trails, and art gallery. Participants are invited to join the Sisters for prayer, following the daily schedule of Liturgy of the Hours. All meals and a private room are included. You are welcome to make the retreat, whether you are just beginning the practices or are deeply formed by them.