Spiritual Retreat Opportunities

Listed, in order of distance, are places that are within about a three-hour drive of St. Monica where one can go for either a private retreat or one with a spiritual director. These places also have some group retreats. Also listed are two opportunities for you to dig deeper into your spiritual lives.

 

1.      Red Plains Monastery in Piedmont, OK, offers a day of solitude, private retreats, and directed retreats. See http://www.mountosb.org/redplains/index.html or call 405-373-4565.

 

2.      Our Lady of Mercy Retreat Center is located at 2801 South Shartel Ave. in Oklahoma City. It is inside Mount St. Mary High School. Sr. Betty Elmer, RSM, coordinates the center. Space is available for private retreat time and the center offers some weekend retreats. The opportunity to get away and be quiet long enough to truly hear God is very available at the center. The prayer garden—grotto—includes the Stations of the Cross and is such sacred space. People come to the grotto day and night to pray. Call 405-634-1968.

 

3.      St. Francis of the Woods is in Coyle, OK. It has comfortable space and beautiful grounds for private retreat time. Call 405-466-3774.

 

4.      St. GregoryÕs University and Abbey is a Benedictine community in Shawnee, OK sponsors retreats. Check the calendar in the Sooner Catholic, call 405-878-5491, or visit http://www.monksok.org/.

 

5.      Spiritual Life Center is part of the Diocese of Wichita, Kansas. Call 316-774-0167 or visit http://www.slcwichita.org/.

 

6.      Montserrat Retreat Center is located at Lake Dallas, Texas and is easily assessable. It is a Jesuit retreat center and has many Thursday night to Sunday afternoon retreats. Their website that lists the retreats. All their retreats have preached conferences by a Jesuit priest. The whole time is spent in silence. Individual visits with a priest and the sacrament of reconciliation are available. You do not have to be Catholic to attend. Call 940-321-6030 or visit http://www.montserratretreat.org/.

 

7.      St. Scholastica Retreat Center in Fort Smith, Arkansas is a wonderful place for retreat. Call 479-783-1135 or visit http://www.mountosb.org/sophia.html .

 

Digging Deeper

1.      The Archdiocese of OklahomaÕs Office of Worship and Spiritual Life (405-728-8477) can provide a list of spiritual directors who meet one-on-one with those seeking to grow that way. Most of the persons on that list have been trained through the five-year program sponsored by the Sisters of Benedict and the Archdiocese of Oklahoma.