THE MONASTERY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Retreat Schedule – 2024
THE WEEKEND RETREAT— If you are interested in participating in a spiritual journey but only have weekends available, these retreats are for you. You will check in on Friday between 2:00 – 4:00 P.M. and check out by 11:00 A.M. on Sunday. We will also provide these retreats virtually through Zoom.
Our preached retreat programs provide a rich variety of spiritual presentations for men and women. In these preached retreats there is a leader or presenter(s) who offers conferences and leads discussions. The schedule also offers an opportunity to share in the Eucharist and invites you to spend your day, including meals, in prayerful silence.
Some retreats provide a quiet and contemplative atmosphere conducive to prayer and reflection while others offer opportunities for sharing and mutual support. These individual and group retreat experiences, inspired by Cistercian Spirituality, offer retreatants time to simply be with God in love, and listen to Him speak personally through the Scriptures. On this weekend journey, in an atmosphere of silence, you will have solitary time for prayer, journaling, discerning, and quiet meditation in nature by our lake, on our lawns, and on our peaceful walking trails.
Just so you know, there is limited space for these popular weekend retreats, they fill to capacity very quickly! If you would like to make a reservation call our office Monday-Friday 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM. Our phone number is 770-760-0959. Your space is reserved when you make your $30.00 deposit.
You may prefer to experience a personal private retreat and visit during a time when there is no scheduled program to allow you to reflect on your own. Our retreat house staff can help you decide what might be best for you and help to make a reservation.
Call us at (770) 760-0959
Our Office is open Monday-Friday 8:00-1:00 PM, and the number is 770-760-0959. Suggested donation for Retreats: $100.00 per night.
Below are the Scheduled Retreats and their presenters.
February 16 - 18
Contemplative Prayer
(Br. Michael and Fr. Gerard)
Prayer is a loving exchange with God. When we learn to receive the gift of God's presence through loving silence, we are able to develop our personal relationship with Him. One way to receive this gift is through centering prayer, traditionally known as contemplative prayer. This type of prayer enables us to rest in God, leading to a more intimate relationship with Him.
March 8 - 10 (Weekend)
Spirituality of Imperfection
(Br. Michael)
The spirituality of imperfection speaks to those who seek meaning in the absurd, peace within the chaos, light within the darkness, and joy within the suffering, without denying the reality and even the necessity of absurdity, chaos, darkness, and suffering. This is not spirituality for the saints or the gods, but for people who suffer from what the philosopher and psychologist William James called “torn-to-pieces-hood.” We have all known that experience. To be human is to feel, at times, divided, fractured, and pulled in a dozen directions ... and to yearn for serenity and some healing of our “torn-to-pieces-hood.
April 12 - 14
El Silencio (SPANISH RETREAT)
(Br. Juan Diego)
El corazón humano añora el silencio. Es el telón de fondo para las palabras de amor, y medicina para el ritmo a
celerado de nuestro tiempo. En este retiro buscamos cultivar nuestra capacidad de silencio, y así escuchar la voz del Padre "que está presente en el secreto" (Mt. 6.)
May 17-19 (Weekend) 
Loving Ourselves
(Br. Mark)
To love ourselves is a command given by Christ Jesus. You are not an accident, God created you on purpose and for a purpose. He loves you and created you to be in relationship with him. It demands faith to trust in God and to love ourselves enough to continue our journey in spite of the failures and roadblocks we often face.
June 7-9 (Weekend)
Armchair Mystic
(Br
. Michael)
This retreat will focus on the 4 stages of prayer as discussed in the book “Armchair Mystic.”
It blends theory and practice, gently and concretely taking the reader through the first steps of contemplative prayer.
July 12-14 (Weekend)
Pondering the Desert Fathers
(Fr. Francis Michael)
Using Roberta Bondi’s book To Love as God Loves, we will consider the Desert Father’s take on living with and loving one another.
August 9-11 (Weekend)
Eucharist: The Source and Summit of Christian Life
(Fr. Gerard)
Total pro-life retreat founded on the Eucharist as the source and center of our lives, we seek to live prolife in marriage, in our relationships with the environment, ecology, social justice, in the marketplace, in our methods of warfare, and in our sensitive love for all persons of all races and orientations in life. Join us as we explore how we can live this more fully.
August 23-25 (Weekend)
To
the City of God, Many Waters Flow
(Br. Mario)
This retreat looks at 4 areas where we all could refresh and recharge our growth towards God: Love, Gratitude, Communicating with God, and influences on our behavior that we may know little about. Each topic will be addressed in one retreat session.
September 13-15 (Weekend) 
Exploring George MacDonald's Vision of God
(Fr. Francis Michael)
Pondering George MacDonald’s vision of God and how he relates to us. MacDonald was the predecessor and large influencer of people like C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, and Charles Williams. We will consider his various beliefs, for example, “God is childlike, and God wants us to be humble because He is humble.
October 4-6 (Weekend)
The Magic of Life and the Near Death Experience
(Br
. Mark)
In the Near-Death Experience, we may come to know who God is. Someone described it this way: "An immense, radiant love poured out from God, consuming me with inexpressible love. With all my heart, I wanted to melt into Him as if we were one." This experience is so powerful that it may alter our relationship with God in a radical way. We will explore the implications of this change.
November 15-17 (Weekend)
12-Step Spirituality for Everyone
(Br. Michael)
This retreat will show how everyone can use the Twelve Steps of AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) in their spiritual lives. The retreat will provide practical ways to use the Twelve Steps as spiritual “tools” on your journey to God.