By Kelley Kepler
Catholic Herald

Retreat centers offer renewal of spirit, mind

SUPERIOR --In today's fast paced word, it can be difficult to escape daily stresses, responsibilities and distractions long enough to find quality time for quiet reflection and prayer.

Just as Jesus needed some time away in the desert to fast and pray before beginning his ministry, people today can benefit by spending time away from the concerns of everyday life to focus on renewing themselves and their faith.

A number of retreat centers in or near the Diocese of Superior offer opportunities for people to do just that. These centers, most of which provide a scenic location for a getaway, offer many types of retreats ranging from secluded individual retreats to preplanned group retreats.

Mt. Carmel Hermitage, Amery

The Carmelite nuns in Amery have five cabins available year-round for private, self-guided retreats. Sr. Kristine Haugen, who is available to offer spiritual advice to retreatants, said, "The idea is to let the Holy Spirit guide you on a retreat like this" to become "more grounded in faith and God."

Each cabin has a wood stove, electric heat and a kitchen. Retreatants bring their own food to cook. The cabins are in the woods, and retreatants can walk along the trails and enjoy the beauty of nature. There is also a chapel in the woods where visitors can stop and pray. They can also attend a daily communion service or Mass, if a priest is available.

"There are no telephones to interrupt you or no TV to tempt you," said Haugen. "You're free to focus on God and read your Bible uninterrupted."

All people can benefit from a retreat each year because, "your inner growth is vital," Haugen said. "If you don't nurture your inner growth, you could burn out and stretch yourself too thin."

Even those who don't think they can afford to go on a retreat because of their financial situation or their daily responsibilities should be encouraged to go, she said. "You'll function all the better if you take the time for inner growth, and you'll accomplish more if you're growing inside as well. ... When you go back to work and everyday life, you'll carry peace with you and needn't be so rattled."

Phone: 715-268-9313; Fax: 715-268-7495

Carmelite Hermitage, Hudson

The Carmelite sisters in Hudson also have facilities available for private retreats. Sr. Gemma Angelo, who founded the monastery in 1963, said a stay at the hermitage would most benefit "someone who wants to get away and be alone and is not afraid of being alone."

The hermitage accommodates one person and has a small cooking space. There is also a cottage with two bedrooms and a full kitchen. Both spaces are stocked with food for breakfast and supper, while lunch is served in the monastery dining room or available for takeout.

The rooms also include stereos, compact discs, religious books and rosaries to aid retreatants in their contemplation. Retreatants can also walk in nearby wooded and lakefront areas. In addition, they are welcome to attend daily Mass or use the chapel for adoration.

Though the retreats are self- directed, the sisters offer spiritual advice to retreatants who would like help with their prayer lives.

Phone: 715-386-2156; Fax: 715-386-6646, e-mail: carmelit@pressenter.com; Web site: www.pressenter.com~carmelit

Marvin M. Schwan Retreat and Conference Center, Trego

On the other end of the spectrum, the Marvin M. Schwan Retreat and Conference Center, which is associated with Bethany Lutheran College of Mankato, Minn., offers lodging and facilities for large group retreats.

Its Pine Village Retreat Center has five duplexes that can house 140 people. There are also five fully furnished, two bedroom cottages that can each accommodate six people. Each housing space has a kitchen and a stone fireplace.

A conference center and a lodge provide diverse meeting spaces for classes and large group gatherings.

The Schwan Center also boasts 700 acres of wooded environment and miles of trails for hiking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. It has two private lakes, with rowboats and canoes available. There are also athletic fields and a children's playground beach, as well as tennis, basketball and sand volleyball courts.

Phone: 1-800-577-4848; Web site: www.schwancenter.org

Servite Center for Life, Ladysmith

According to Sr. Bernice VanderLoop, president of the Servite Center board of directors, "The Servite Center for Life is not a place, but a ministry that flows out of the Servants for Mary motherhouse." VanderLoop cited the mission statement in describing the purpose of the center: "As an interfaith ministry rooted in the Servite tradition, we seek to inspire the people of northern Wisconsin as they recognize and respond to the gifts and workings of the spirit within themselves and all of creation."

Though the center does not have accommodations for overnight retreats, guests are welcome to visit for a day or part of a day. Retreatants can spend time walking the grounds along the banks of the Flambeau River, walking the labyrinth or visiting the healing garden, chapels, prayer room, library and gift shop.

The Servite Center offers a variety of ecumenical workshops, including a Lenten series, programs on topics such as interfaith spirituality, wellness and weight management, and an herbal study group.

"We've also had tornado related programs where people who suffered from the tornado are encouraged to express themselves and get a little spiritual help," said VanderLoop.

"We offer life giving experiences for people who are in need or desire a shot in the arm of spiritual growth," she said. Trained spiritual directors are also available to guide retreatants on their journeys.

Phone: 715-532-9611; e-mail: scl@mscfs.edu; Web site: www.servitecenter.org

Marywood Franciscan Spirituality Center, Arbor Vitae

The Marywood Franciscan Spirituality Center is sponsored by the Franciscan Sisters of the Perpetual Adoration. It offers a variety of evening and day-long workshops, guided retreats and a few overnight events each year.

According to Sr. Jolynn Brehm, director of the center, many retreatants use Scripture each day as part of their prayer and reflection. "Scripture invites them to look at pieces of their own life. Many process how God has been part of their life by using artistic expression, music or writing." There are artists on staff for guests who wish to use art to enhance their spirituality.

The center has four cabins with fireplaces for private retreats of up to eight days, in which retreatants make their own schedules and also meet with a spiritual director once each day. There are three spiritual directors available and each offer a different spiritual focus.

The cabins are located along the shore of scenic Trout Lake and surrounded by many tall, old pine trees. There are nearby trails for hiking, biking and cross country skiing.

"For many people, the setting in nature is what is very renewing in them," Brehm said. "They may find this a place where they reconnect pieces of their own lives and find God in nature."

Phone: 715-385-3750; fax: 715-385-9118; e-mail: marywood @newnorth.net; Web site: www.fspa.org

McCabe Renewal Center, Duluth, Minn.

The mission statement of the McCabe Renewal Center reads, "As a ministry of the Benedictine Sisters of St. Scholastica Monastery, the Center is committed to journey with others as they seek wholeness and inner peace."

The center presents a wide variety of workshops and retreats throughout the year. Individuals and groups can also schedule day or overnight retreats, with or without spiritual direction from the staff. The McCabe Renewal Center can accommodate 25 day guests and 18 overnight guests. There is also meeting space available for groups.

According to its Web site, the center is ecumenical and "welcomes members of all faith traditions and human service organizations that promote social justice and the arts."

Massage and cranial sacral are therapies that play an important part of the McCabe ministry; both are available upon request. Retreatants are also welcome to walk the center's seven-circuit outdoor labyrinth.

Phone: 218-724-5266; e-mail: McCabeRenCtr@aol.com; Web site: www.duluthbenedictines.org

St. Anthony Retreat Center, Marathon

Director Fr. Dan Crosby said, "The spirit of St. Anthony, and his hospitality, peace and simplicity, is much a part of what people experience" when they come to St. Anthony Retreat Center, a ministry of the Capuchin Franciscan Friars.

The center has 45 acres of wooded land for walking, prayer and meditation. There is an outdoor labyrinth and numerous groomed paths, which include the stations of the cross. There is a massage therapist on staff and a library of books, videos, tapes and art supplies to aid with meditation.

Individual rooms provide housing for about 80 people. Retreatants also enjoy home cooked meals.

The center offers day, evening, and weekend retreats and workshops, that benefit different age groups and focus on a variety of themes, all centered around spirituality. The programs are open to persons of all faiths.

St. Anthony retreat center offers both directed and private retreats of up to six days long. The directed retreats are individually guided, but each retreatant meets with a spiritual director each day. During the summer, two weeks are specifically devoted to directed retreats; however, retreats may be scheduled at any time during the year.

In addition, there are conference rooms, lounges, a chapel and dining room for groups that wish to conduct their own retreats.

"Going on a retreat, in general, is very helpful for a person's spiritual life because many times we want to grow closer to the Lord, and though we go to Mass, we don't have the time to really reflect on where we are and how God is speaking to us," said Crosby. "Retreats provide the atmosphere and help for doing that."

Phone: 715-443-2216; Fax: 715-443-2235; e-mail: info@sarcenter.com; Web site: www.sarcenter.com

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© Superior Catholic Herald, 2003