Spirit Center Retreats
Gift Certificate Purchase
Open Dates
Spirit Center at the Monastery of St. Gertrude
Spirit Centers offers contemplative space for learning, renewal, and crucial conversation with others for a better world. Sometimes that means taking private time in silence and nature. Sometimes that means a group retreat to express or deepen spiritual longings. Sometimes that means sitting in safe conversation with the Holy Spirit and a spiritual director. If you aren't sure which is appropriate now, give them a gift certificate and let them choose their path.
Individual Retreat
Flexible Dates
Spirit Center at the Monastery of St. Gertrude
St. Benedict said, “Listen with the ear of your heart.” Why? It is this type of listening that allows the hearing of divine wisdom and inspiration that guides our lives into ever-increasing fullness, peace, and joy. But sometimes the noise and blur of life make that difficult. That is why we offer you the opportunity to come to Spirit Center and listen.
Hope-Filled in a Wounded and Polarized World
With Sr. Betty Schumacher
August 8 - 10, 2025
Spirit Center
"Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness." Desmond Tutu How do we live with hope in a world that is wounded, broken, chaotic and polarized? Our culture and society continue to tell stories to justify the sufferings and injustice that many are experiencing today. We have an opportunity to re-tell the stories from another perspective that offers hope to our world.
Emotional Healing Through Forgiveness
With Terese Luikens
August 22 - 24, 2025
Spirit Center at the Monastery of St. Gertrude's
Has a person or an event emotionally shattered you? A liberal dose of forgiveness is what our wounds need. Where there is forgiveness, there is healing. In truth, when someone hurts you, forgiveness helps you to heal.
Diffusions – Praying with the Desert Mothers : The Hidden Life
With Dr. Samantha L. Miller
September 3, 2025
Zoom
Looking closely at the sayings and lives of the desert saints, we think about their particular spiritual practices, what those practices lead to, and how we might imitate these practices in our own lives. Come see what our new friends can teach us about spiritual formation in this final part of our spring desert saints series!
Introduction to Centering Prayer
With Donna Kreiensieck and Marti Taylor
September 5 - 7, 2025
Spirit Center at the Monastery of St. Gertrude
This retreat will provide the background and fundamentals of Centering Prayer and teach how to develop a continuing practice.
Discovering Your Souls Potential: A Retreat on Breakthrough Enneagram
With Sr. Barbara Jean Glodowski, OSB
September 12 - 14, 2025
“I cannot even understand my own actions. I do not do what I want to do but what I hate.” -- Romans 7:15 The Enneagram is a spiritual wisdom tradition that was widely used by the desert Elders of the Christian church along with mystics and theologians who lived during the first five centuries AD.
A Watercolor Journey II
With Pearl Maxner
September 23 - 25, 2025
Spirit Center at the Monastery of St. Gertrude
Take the next step toward becoming a confident watercolorist. Revisit the techniques learned in "A Watercolor Journey" and move forward to new skills. Any beginner class will serve as a prerequisite for this retreat. All materials provided.
Spiritual Discipline of Contemporary Iconography
With Kara Gillette
September 26 - October 2, 2025
Spirit Center at the Monastery of St. Gertrude
Because at its heart iconography is a spiritual discipline, emphasis will be placed on spirituality and embracing our work as a form of prayer. Participants should to prepare for a time of silence and contemplation while engaging with their creative selves and with the One in whose image we were created.
Diffusions – Praying with the Desert Mothers : Prayer and Hospitality
With Dr. Samantha L. Miller
October 8, 2025
Zoom
Looking closely at the sayings and lives of the desert saints, we think about their particular spiritual practices, what those practices lead to, and how we might imitate these practices in our own lives. Come see what our new friends can teach us about spiritual formation in this final part of our spring desert saints series!
An Attitude of Gratitude Yoga Retreat
With Kay Totten
November 7 - 9, 2025
Spirit Center at the Monastery of St. Gertrude
November is a month when we naturally think of GRATITUDE as we near the time of Thanksgiving and the culmination of our summer and fall season activities. This Yoga retreat will focus on our deep inner need to begin each day with an ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE using the key themes of: LIGHT, WARMTH, ENDINGS, RESILIENCE, AND BEAUTY. Beginning “yogis” welcome! The yoga sessions will be grounded in the Yoga for Healthy Aging method allowing for modifications in postures and safety in your practice. Please bring a mat, blocks, or any other props you might want for your practice.