“It is a very good plan every now and then to go away and have a little relaxation; for when you come back to the work your judgment will be surer, since to remain constantly at work will cause you to lose the power of judgment.”

Leonardo da Vinci, “the greatest genius of all time”.

What is a retreat?

A retreat can mean many things.
It can be a place for quiet reflection and rejuvenation.
It can also be a place and time to regain good health.
It can be a time for spiritual reassessment and renewal – either alone, in silence, or with a group.

Why a retreat?

The most common reason for a person to go on a retreat seems to be a genuine thirst to know oneself better, to get in touch with the higher Self, and to tap into the source of universal energy, by whatever name you might prefer to use: Energy, God, Love, the Universal Unconscious…. Going on a retreat allows a period of solitude and silence to “listen” to the voice of your own experience, and through that to become more deeply acquainted with the God who (or Universal Energy which) is within us. There are many options open to you for a retreat experience. If a silent retreat is what you are looking for, you will get lots of quiet time away from daily demands. Alternatively, you can seek a directed retreat. Again you will experience lots of quiet times away from daily demands to get in tune with your inner self under the direction of an experienced retreat director.

Retreats at St. Joseph Renewal Centre

St. Josephs offers space and time for either individual or group retreats.  Any group of any denomination whose objective is within the scope of our mission is welcome to rent the facilities for a one day meeting, a weekend or a week-long event.

If you are interested in booking some time at the centre contact us soon, as our calendar is filling up quickly.

Throughout the year the centre offers several weekend or weekly directed retreats.

The following is a list of those that have been scheduled for the coming year (2012)

• Men’s Cursillo - Feb 2 – 5
• Women’s Cursillo - Feb 9 – 12
• Private directed retreat - Mar 23 – 25
• Challenge Weekend (girls) - April 13 – 15
• Challenge Weekend (boys) - April 20 – 22
• CND Associates directed - May 4 – 6
• Private group retreat - May 25 – 27
• Men’s  Retreat - June 1 – 3
• Private directed retreat - June 8 – 10
• Beatitudes - July 8 – 15
• Ecological Spirituality - Aug 16 – 23

A spiritual director or spiritual guide is one, who in a one-to-one relationship, listens, with love, the love of the Holy Spirit, to the other (the directee), who shares an account of his or her journey to a fuller life in God. Like prayer, contemplation and meditation, a spiritual guide nourishes the spiritual aspect of being human and allowing one’s spirituality to be shared with others.

Spiritual Direction is a precious time when you take time to recognize the presence of the Holy in your everyday life and are helped to contemplate and savour those moments. These graced moments can transform you, body, soul, mind and spirit.

If you are interested in setting up a program for yourself Saint Joseph Renewal Centre now has individuals willing to act as Spiritual Guides.

Suggested donation for Centre $15.00 – $25.00 per session.

Photos of our accommodations and meeting space: