Why Silent Retreat Centers?

If you are yearning to unplug, be still, and pause your daily routine — if just for a day or a weekend — then attending one of the most profound silent retreats in the US at Ignatius House is for you.

Our offerings are designed to allow you to break away into silence for a few hours, a few days, or longer. Silence is more than not speaking. It is putting aside the distractions of the world with intentional space for the Divine to permeate. The Jesuit Walter Burghardt called this “a long, loving look at the real.” What can you hear when nothing else is in the way?

Discover how Ignatian spirituality can be useful for busy parents, when changing or building new careers, when grieving and recovering, or when you simply want to grow closer to your creator. Come for a day or stay overnight and rediscover who God made you to be.

What Happens on Retreat?

Most retreats at Ignatius House are weekend retreats. These begin with dinner, where you are encouraged to mingle and chat with fellow guests. After dinner and an orientation, you enter into silence for the duration of your stay.

Each day, your Retreat Director will offer various, 30-minute presentations — or  “invitations to prayer” — about a spiritual theme. You generally listen in silence. Presentations may end with a question for you to contemplate or journal about during your free time. How you spend the rest of your time is up to you – napping, reading, hiking, journaling, or praying. You may choose to attend a one-on-one “spiritual conversation” session with your Retreat Director to privately discuss a topic on your mind. A Catholic Mass is offered once during weekend retreats and daily during week-long retreats. Some retreats may also include art, yoga, mindfulness, or other activities. Your time at Ignatius House typically concludes close with a group session for optional sharing and discussion, followed by a social brunch.

Week-long or month-long retreats allow you to focus more deeply on God’s involvement in your life. Shorter options are available for those who can’t stay overnight: Half-day and single-day events offer a taste of Ignatian spirituality and a convenient break for guided prayer, generally ending mid-afternoon. Search for “days of reflection” in the calendar.

Click here to view a sample 2-night retreat schedule (may vary depending on the retreat).