“It’s in stillness that we prepare ourselves for dealing with the realities of life, which are often very difficult ones.”- Pico Iyer

More and more entirely secular people like the famous travel writer Pico Iyer are today being drawn to retreats and to the refreshment of quiet. He discusses this in a TED talk exerpted here, and in ”The Joy of Quiet,” a 2011 essay in the New York Times.

Living the Life of Prayer, this year’s parish retreat on April 30-May 3 is not, of course, secular. Sally Harrington Philippo, our guest speaker, is a deeply prayerful Christian and a seasoned spiritual guide who delights in making scripture accessible to people with all levels of familiarity with prayer. Paul Kennington, our Dean and the Chaplain for the retreat, has a special love for music, liturgy, and the monastic offices. This retreat therefore offers a full spectrum of prayer experience… an immersion course, if you will.

Participants may choose to arrive on Thursday or Friday afternoons and remain until after lunch on Sunday; Quiet Days are available also on both Friday and Saturday.  Meals and snacks will be available at fixed times and so is a full menu of monastic offices, daily eucharist, and talks on prayer. The chapel, common room, and beautiful outdoor grounds on the Lake of Two Mountains are available to all, as are art supplies and opportunities for spiritual conversation individually and (in the evenings) for the group. All activities are entirely optional—let yourself be led by the Spirit to the refreshment you need.

For more information, consult the poster & registration form; and the website of l’Hermitage Sainte-Croix.