So That All Who Seek May Find
a ministry of the Conventual Franciscan Friars
A retreat is truly a time to pull, to retreat from your everyday life at home and at work. While on retreat, there are no worries about cleaning, cooking, or other responsibilities. The retreat is a time to renew a relationship with God and recharge your spirit. Whether you come with your own group and we offer you space and hospitality, or you join in on one of our sponsored programs of an evening, a day, or a weekend, you will feel yourself begin to breathe again here at Mount St. Francis Center for Spirituality. If you choose to come alone and spend your time here alone in the quiet, we have opportunities for that as well.
Hosted Retreats or Programs are all the groups who come here with a certain number of people, asking for meeting space, meals, and lodging. Groups come to us from a variety of churches, schools, non-profit and company organizations. Each of these groups decides how long to stay and has access to all 400 acres of wooded grounds, lakes, as well as our chapels. Some of our hosted groups are high schools, recovery groups, engaged or marriage encounter groups, as well as those interested in using the ropes course for team building.
Sponsored Retreats or Programs are those presented by members of our retreat staff. These might include a Saturday morning discussion at the Garden Shelter, a group of women spending a weekend in Loftus House doing a study on aging, an animated weekend celebrating St. Francis, or a contemplative retreat on creation.
Private retreats – We get calls almost every week with someone looking for a private place to come. The Hermitage is available for short stays where the retreatant takes care of his/her meals and is isolated from others The Loftus House is a separate building with six bedrooms where individuals can come on private retreats, for any length of time, sometimes taking meals in the main center or on their own in the house. We also offer private suites in the main center, where meals are taken in the dining room.
We aim to offer varied spiritual experiences to people in all walks of life. Feel free to browse through our offerings of retreats for one that meets you where you are on your own personal faith walk. No matter what retreat you choose, just being on the grounds, walking the labyrinth, or sitting by the lake can be retreat in and of itself.