I had the blessing to spend close to thirty hours in solitude ,lodging in the prayer center, prior to the Advent Retreat beginning. It was as close to heaven as I have ever experienced in my spiritual journey. I plan to return for several days of solitude in the prayer center in the coming year. In addition, Sr. Ruth Ann’s Advent retreat is always a remarkable period of self reflection as I prepare for the coming of the light of the world. It helps me to reset for the impending period of chaos.

Awesome!

This five-day silent retreat focused on David Frenette's book Contemplative Attitudes with a Saturday Zoom meeting with David himself. The design of the retreat provided the opportunity for a deep dive into the Attitudes as David explored them: Consent and Giving God Consent to Act in You, Opening and Recognizing, Simplicity and Awakening in God, etc. Nancy and Phil conducted the sits and retreat sessions. As the silence increased through the days, Saturday the fourth day, created a transformational space that produced a Unitive Experience. It provided the opportunity, especially with David's Grace, for immersion in the Unitive state, beyond ego, beyond the duality of the separate self into Unity Consciousness. While temporary, the Unitive State was enlightening and established a clear direction for the future. I am grateful to Bethany and our retreat masters for providing this opportunity to expand horizons and get on with the Work. Thomas Keating reminds us it only takes a few Contemplatives to change the world.

Beautifully crafted retreat. A mix of sharing, silence, writing, and prayer. It was for all kinds of loss in the human experience. The retreat leader was excellent, compassionate, and helpful. I have been visiting Bethany Retreat since 2019. It’s beautiful and affordable. The accommodations and meals are great.

The retreat was wonderful. The facilitators were great. I enjoyed the discussions on contemplative attitudes , based on David Frenette’s book. The facilities were comfortable - small single rooms with shared bathrooms and separate men and women wings. The food was very good. The setting is beautiful and very quiet.