Going on a catholic retreat tomorrow!

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adamvandyck

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Tomorrow I’m going on a Catholic retreat with the UWM Newman Center to a local YMCA summer camp for the weekend. Has any of you all been to any kind of catholic retreat before? This one will be my third retreat with them and the past two was a load of fun.
 
Have a peaceful time on retreat, both of you!

I have gone on retreat annually since 2013 and have found it essential for my spiritual development. My retreats have so far been individual and silent, sometimes guided, sometimes not, and have lasted three to eight days. In December I’ll be going on my first group retreat, a three-day lectio divina session. Should be interesting. 🙂
 
I would like to try going on retreat but I haven’t found one which is cheap enough. I know, I shouldn’t put a price on this but I have to really. UK.
 
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All but one of my retreats have been in the UK so I know it’s not cheap, particularly since I don’t live there so the travel is in itself a major financial drain. Have you asked your parish priest? Maybe he could help you find something within your budget.

Many retreats are costly because you’re expected to reside on-site for the duration, which means they need to house and feed you. Perhaps there are retreats near you that you could commute to each day rather than sleeping on-site. Those should be more moderately priced.

And don’t feel bad about having to limit your expenditure for a retreat. We can only do what we can do.
 
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I’ve never done a retreat, but you CAFers are making me consider one. Good luck and have fun
 
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The retreats I went on in college changed my life completely. I will always highly recommend them.
 
I feel the same way, even though my retreat experiences came later in life. Retreats are a game changer for me. I encourage everyone to go on at least one.
 
I have been on several private retreats to the monastery not far from my home town. If I count these three-day spots as vacation time, they rank up there with the best of all time.
 
I’m planning a weekend Ignatian retreat after Easter Vigil. I’m pretty excited about it. Nervous too.
 
I was forced to go on a retreat in high school. I don’t have good memories of it. I think the fact that it wasn’t a voluntary event kind of took away from the experience. I don’t remember anything even being offered in college. My Newman Center was kinda lame and I think they would have rather we all gone on a protest march than a retreat.

These days I sometimes do one-day retreats sponsored by Flame of Love US or other prayer groups. Usually there are some traveling ministry priests or Relevant Radio speakers. I like the prayer part of the retreats. The preaching and speaking are sometimes okay, sometimes not.
 
I consider the retreat my holiday for the year. If I am going abroad for a retreat then I stay some extra days before or after depending upon which airport I will fly into. Total price for plane ticket, guest house/hotel, food and then the local transportation to the retreat centre all count. Sometimes if there is a special event taking place before or after might help decide where I will fly into.
 
I’m glad that you mentioned one-day retreats, because many people I’ve met IRL think retreats are only multi-day residential affairs far from the madding crowd. One does not have to up stakes, hack through thick jungle vegetation for twelve hours and cut oneself off from civilization to go on retreat.

Also, silent or not, one does not have to be on retreat for days on end to realize a benefit from it. I need at least three full days exclusive of travel (there are factors in play that are not directly spiritual in nature) and prefer a week to a week and a half myself, but that may not be right for someone else.

For someone who is going on retreat for the first time, I would caution against biting off more than you can reasonably chew, especially if the retreat is silent. Remaining silent for several days in a row is not easy for many people. More is not always better.
Tis_Bearself said:
My Newman Center was kinda lame and I think they would have rather we all gone on a protest march than a retreat.
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I LOLed out loud at this. Thanks 🙂
Tis_Bearself said:
Aren’t there any one-day retreats you can attend? Many of the ones I go to are somewhere between 25 dollars and free.
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I don’t know where in the UK @Lee1 lives, but these do exist there. Here’s one example, tomorrow in London.
 
You’re right, there is something like that I remember being told about it now. Thank you for jogging my memory. Ideally I’d go somewhere for a week but a day would be nice I think. Thanks.
 
Thank you that does look interesting, though I am not a happy bunny in London to be honest, I’d rather be in the Brecon Beacons or somewhere like the pass of llanberris! No day retreats in llanberris though.
 
I see that they have many retreats for which they only ask for a donation. 🙂:+1:t3:

For a longer retreat, some retreat centers have bursaries available for those who need financial assistance. St. Beuno’s in Wales is an example. I have been there twice and they are not cheap, but they also don’t want to turn away everyone for whom their rates present hardship. See here for more info.

https://www.pathwaystogod.org/centres/st-beunos/visiting-st-beunos/bursaries

Another general comment for everyone reading this thread: if you leave retreat feeling like you didn’t get anything out of it, be patient. Wait at least a few days. Sometimes the benefit of a retreat doesn’t manifest itself immediately. It can take weeks or even months, if you have a thick skull and reticent heart like mine.
 
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Secluded retreat locations often don’t have single-day retreats simply because it’s such a logistical ordeal to get to them. One- or two-day retreats tend to be easier to find in metropolitan areas.
 
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