A twist on the monthly Get Away for a Day, the Silent Day Away is a great introduction to a Silent Retreat.
“Our weekend silent retreats are popular, but not everyone is ready to commit to a weekend of silence,” said Father David Huemmer, chaplain at the St. Joseph Retreat & Conference Center. “This, new self-guided Silent Day Away allows guests to experience silence at their own pace and schedule.”
While this unstructured retreat allows guests to fill the day with spiritual exercises of their choice, resources like the beautiful and peaceful grounds, shrines, stations of the cross, St. Jerome library, and cozy gathering spaces provide a prayerful environment. Morning prayer, adoration and mass in the St. Joseph chapel, a Keltie & Co. Catering lunch and daytime prayer are available to help round out the day.
Three Silent Day Away retreats are scheduled, so far, for February 5th, March 26th and April 30th with plans to offer more in the second part of 2025. Each gather from 9 am to 3 pm ET and costs $25.
“After a silent day, guests can consider a weekend silent retreat where over the course of the weekend, guests will make seven holy hours with different scriptures taken from the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius,” added Father Huemmer. “Retreatants also attend Mass and have the opportunity to experience Liturgy of the Hours with catechesis, spiritual direction, and reconciliation.”
These weekend retreats, which are limited to 10 guests, have become so popular that women’s weekends usually sell out.
“As the number of weekend retreatants has grown over the years, we’ve added a 5-day and 8-day Women’s Silent Retreat,” added Father Huemmer. “We hope to expand the men’s retreat to more days in the future.”