Something Wonderful: A Retreat in a Hermitage

I know that most of my recommendations have been cultural, but I want this Monday part of my blog to introduce you to all sorts of wonderful things, so this week I’m recommending something a little different: a solitary retreat in a hermitage.

I firmly believe that we all need times of solitude and silence in our lives – times to reflect and times to connect to God. One way you can do this is through going on a retreat in a hermitage.

My own experience with this has been through stays in a hermitage at Pacem in Terris. I love the simplicity of the hermitages: each one consists of a room with a bed, a washstand, a rocking chair, and a couple of side tables. They have no running water. Water is provided in jugs, and there are latrines nearby as well as a commode in your room. The hermitages are connected to gas, which provides light and heat. Each is also equipped with a gas burner so that you can boil water for tea. (Note: As a tea lover, I recommend bringing your own, because they only provide bags of Lipton tea.) Guests are supplied with a basket of bread, fruit, and cheese, which is replenished as needed; a mailbox outside of your door allows you to leave notes for the staff, who make rounds twice a day. Visitors don’t need to worry about many basic supplies. Ponchos, bug spray, flashlights, plates, napkins, and matches are all available. Each hermitage has one large window facing away from paths, as well as a screened-in porch. You can wander along paths to the lake, through a meadow, and through the woods. There is also a retreat center, which includes exercise facilities, a library, and a chapel (Mass is offered there, although I am not Catholic and do not attend). If you let staff know to expect you, you can have dinner in the retreat center on weeknights; this is included in the cost of your stay. The retreat center also provides some rooms for those who cannot or would rather not stay in a hermitage.

The rhythm that suits me is to spend three nights there, coming in for dinner at least once and eating dinner in my hermitage at least once. I sleep a lot, walk a lot, and pray and read the Bible a lot. For me, the time is restorative, but I am an introvert; I know some extroverts who say they couldn’t stand it.

Whether this sounds wonderful to you or a little scary, I recommend giving a retreat in a hermitage a try. Not all hermitages are as simple as the ones at Pacem in Terris, but all should allow opportunities for silence, meditation, and prayer. Start your search with “hermitages for private retreats,” and see what you can find! Please let me know if you’ve been on retreat and what the experience was like for you.