Finding a Retreat Center
By Stacey Padrick Thompson
The following sources of information can help you locate a retreat center near you.
Call Catholic or Protestant churches in your area. The majority of retreat centers I’ve found have been Catholic, but they welcome people from any denomination. Don’t be surprised if you meet people whose faith background is different from yours.
Another helpful resource is the book Sanctuaries of the Complete United States: A Guide to Lodgings in Monasteries, Abbeys, and Retreats, available at your library or bookstore. Many libraries also have separate guides to particular regions, such as the Northeast, the West, etc.
Retreats International annually publishes a directory of retreat centers in the United States and Canada. You can purchase it for $30 on their website at www.nd.edu/~retreats/
Additional retreat centers are listed on this website under the Resources section.
Many retreat centers are nonprofit operations and ask for a suggested donation. This fee is based on whether food is included and the location of the retreat center. Costs usually range from $20 to $65 per night. Most also offer scholarships to help defray the cost or simply ask you to pay what you can afford.
Books for Your Retreat
You may enjoy one of the following books during your retreat. They’ll help you explore what it means to experience God in silence and solitude.
The Practice of the Presence of God
By Brother Lawrence
(Various publishers)
Making All Things New
By Henri J. M. Nouwen
(HarperSanFrancisco)
The Pursuit of God
By A. W. Tozer
(Christian Publications)
Celebration of Discipline
By Richard Foster
(HarperSanFrancisco)
The Imitation of Christ
By Thomas a Kempis
(Various publishers)
The Soul at Rest
By Trician McCary Rhodes
(Bethany)
Quiet Places
By Jane Rubietta
(Bethany)
Listening to God
By Jan Johnson
(NavPress)
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