I'm looking for a weekend monastic retreat

[japhy]

I live in Princeton, NJ, and I’m looking for a monastery in a 200-mile radius or so – that’s New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Southern New York, Eastern Pennsylvania – to spend a weekend retreat in July. I don’t have any affiliation with a particular religious order or its spirituality. I’d prefer a place with an “authentic” monastic environment (simple living, somewhat rural), although I’m more concerned with authentic monastic life (habits, prayer, Latin chant is a plus, etc.).

Can anyone help me out? Google hasn’t been very fruitful.

I’ve found one place so far that looks appealing (and it’s Byzantine!) - Holy Dormition Monastery in Sybertsville, PA.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Well, I don’t know if this is too far for you, but there are two here in Central Massachusetts, which is about a 3hr drive from NJ.

spencerabbey.org/

I met a fellow participant of this website, by accident, on my retreat last April. He comes up from Long Island NY, so the drive is not too bad.

This is totally monastic in the Cistercian tradition. They chant, but in English. However, you must make your reservation six months in advance, and on the 1st day of the month. There is only one conference on Saturday morning. You attend the Liturgy of the Hours(morning and evening prayer) and the Mass at the back of the Abbey Church. The Little Hours you attend in the side guest chapel.

The other is;

stscholasticapriory.org/contact.php

and to make a reservation go here;

stmarysmonastery.org/Guesthouse.htm

This is a Benedictine monastery of Sisters and Monks. The sisters live in the priory at one corner of the property, and the monks live in a monastery at the other. Both are connected to the recently built church. They are cloistered.

The Mass and Liturgy of the Hours, are chanted in Gregorian Chant.

You’ve probably seen Br Jerome’s quotes by a poster at this web site. This is the monastery he is at.

I’ve been to both monasteries often and both are beautiful retreat experiences.

Jim