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Spirit Center at the Monastery of St. Gertrude
Spirit Centers offers contemplative space for learning, renewal, and crucial conversation with others for a better world. Sometimes that means taking private time in silence and nature. Sometimes that means a group retreat to express or deepen spiritual longings. Sometimes that means sitting in safe conversation with the Holy Spirit and a spiritual director. If you aren't sure which is appropriate now, give them a gift certificate and let them choose their path.
Individual Retreat
Flexible Dates
Spirit Center at the Monastery of St. Gertrude
St. Benedict said, “Listen with the ear of your heart.” Why? It is this type of listening that allows the hearing of divine wisdom and inspiration that guides our lives into ever-increasing fullness, peace, and joy. But sometimes the noise and blur of life make that difficult. That is why we offer you the opportunity to come to Spirit Center and listen.
Discovering Your Soul Potential: A Retreat on the Breakthrough Enneagram
With Sr. Barbara Jean Glodowski, OSB
April 21 - 23, 2026
Spirit Center at the Monastery of St. Gertrude
The Enneagram is a spiritual wisdom tradition that was widely used by the desert Elders of the Christian church along with mystics and theologians who lived during the first five centuries AD.
The Hurley/Dobson Breakthrough Enneagram Retreat is a refreshingly new and easy way to learn the Enneagram. It presents the Enneagram in the simple language of thinking, feeling, and doing, which are the three centers of intelligence we use every day. It answers the age-old question, “why do people do what they do?”
It accomplishes this goal by describing nine personality styles. It also reveals what a person can do to overcome the limitations of the type, making the system positive, hopeful, and immediately applicable to daily life. It is a tool to help you on the path of Spiritual Transformation.
Diffusions - Playing with Words: Benedict’s Little Rule for Beginners
With Tim Oberholzer
April 28, 2026
ZOOM
St. Benedict's "little rule written for beginners" invites us to grow in virtue through intentional living in the ordinariness of life. The text contains numerous themes to inspire and direct individuals and communities in the way of perfection. During these Zoom sessions, we will ponder the Rule of St. Benedict by "playing" with recurring words and themes. Each month we will examine Benedict's weaving of a different word or theme through the Rule to gain an understanding of his intention and our application.
Diffusions: St. Gertrude of Helfta: Companion for the Millennium
With Dr. Samantha L. Miller
April 29, 2026
Zoom
Join us in reading with and about St. Gertrude of Helfta, 13th-century mystic and namesake of St. Gertrude's Monastery, in Gertrude of Helfta: Companion for the Millennium by Sr. Evangela Bossert. Each chapter is a description of part of Gertrude's story, a description of one of her visions, and then a meditation on these for our own […]
Diffusions :: The Four Agreements
With Tim Oberholzer
May 7 - June 25, 2026
Zoom
This eight-week book discussion will explore don Miguel Ruiz's book The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom. In this weekly journey, our group will meet via 1 1/2 hour Zoom sessions, Thursdays, 6-7:30 pm (Pacific) 9-10:30 pm (Eastern), to share thoughts and impressions of each chapter. The four agreements are: Be Impeccable with Your Word, Don't Take Anything Personally, Don't Make Assumptions, and Always Do Your Best. We will discuss a chapter a week. After discussing the book's seven chapters, we will have a final wrap-up session for a total of 8 conversations.
Deepening Our Spirituality with Mindfulness
With Gail Stearns
May 8 - 10, 2026
Spirit Center at the Monastery of St. Gertrude
Ancient spiritual wisdom and current science are showing we can actually shift the way our brains work, to experience less reactivity toward greater calm and purpose. When we combine mindfulness tools with spiritual, contemplative practice, we can experience this transformation in a beautiful way.
Using our Yoga Practice to Celebrate the Joys of Summer
With Kay Totten
June 12 - 14, 2026
Spirit Center at the Monastery of St. Gertrude
We will explore the themes of purity, contentment, self-discipline, self-study, and devotion to our spiritual journey during the retreat weekend. I’m excited to announce that I will be joined by an amazing yoga teacher who will now be part of the “team” that will provide you with a safe and yet challenging space to rest, […]
Exploring Nature's Gifts 2026
With Sr. Carlotta Fontes, OSB
June 25 - 28, 2026
Spirit Center at the Monastery of St. Gertrude
“Our backyard is an abundant source of God’s gift of healing plants to us.” Discover what ancient herbal wisdom has to show us today. Learn how to identify and harvest herbs in order to make herbal teas, salves, and more. The retreat activities will take participants onto the Monastery of St. Gertrude hillside for hands-on experience.
Sensing the Divine with St Hildegard of Bingen.
With Karla Neumann Smiley, Obl.S.B.
July 7 - 10, 2026
Monastery of St. Gertrude, Spirit Center
St. Hildegard of Bingen was a 12th century Benedictine mystic, visionary, artist, composer, herbalist, and Doctor of the Church. A polymath who has left us with a vast array of music, writing, art, and inspiration, Hildegard’s life and work offer a rich and multi-sensory experience. In this retreat we will engage our five senses as […]
Experiencing Creation as CREATION
With Mary Litch
August 9 - 14, 2026
Spirit Center
This outdoor-focused retreat aims to give participants the experience of God’s presence in the
natural world. The retreat journey starts by introducing Franciscan (Catholic) theology, which
emphasizes God’s immanence in the world. From there, we use a variety of indoor and outdoor
exercises to build an attitude of gratitude for and mindfulness of the natural world, culminating
in an outdoor exercise that leads participants to “step into Creation.” On the final retreat day,
we use exercises based on Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment, Laudato Si, to
examine the implications of God’s immanence in Creation on our actions.
The Letter : An Intimate Pilgrimage
With Cheryl Johnson and Tim Oberholzer
October 27 - 31, 2026
Spirit Center at the Monastery of St. Gertrude
On this pilgrimage we will accompany each other on this personal road to Emmaus. We will begin by finding one “person” (family member, friend, colleague, Saint, God, pet, tree, animal, house, strangers within and without, etc) with whom we will explore on pilgrimage. We will address our letters to this person. By the end of our pilgrimage, each retreatant will leave with a stack of letters. Perhaps, ready for mailing or for storing or for continuing the journey. Each day we will explore a variety of ways to write these letters--expressing gratitude, forgiveness, discord, healing—whatever surfaces and asks for attention.