Holy Week Silent Retreat
“In silence and in hope shall our strength be.” Isaiah 30:15
Anyone who would like to experience a deep and sustained silence in the quiet companionship of others is invited to the Holy Week Silent Retreat. For some, this retreat will be an opportunity to contemplate and participate in – with greater intention – the texts, liturgies, and prayers of Holy Week. For others it will be an opportunity simply to enter a time of sustained and uninterrupted silence. For all, it is an invitation to live the rhythms of monastic life in an extended retreat experience.
Optional contemplative engagements (e.g. journal prompts, walking meditations, and opportunities for artistic expression) may deepen your experience, as may opportunities for lectio divina and shared reflections on the meaning and mystery of these days.
Retreat Schedule
Thursday, March 25
| 4:00 pm | Arrival and settling in | |
| 4:30 pm | Brief introduction to the weekend and to each other | RGH 110 |
| 5:00 pm | Dinner with the Sisters | Monastery Community Dining Room |
| 6:00 pm | Holy Thursday Liturgy. After this liturgy, we enter into silence until the Easter Vigil on Sat. evening | Monastery Assembly Room |
| 7:30-9:00 pm | Companioned silence | RGH 222 |
Friday, March 26
| Breakfast on your own | RGH 113 | |
| 7:35 am | Centering prayer (optional) | Monastery Oratory |
| 8:00 am | Morning prayer (optional) | Monastery Oratory |
| 10:00 am | Lectio divina and contemplative dialogue to prepare for Good Friday liturgy (optional) | RGH 110 |
| 11:45 am | Midday prayer (optional) | Monastery Oratory |
| Noon | Lunch (in silence) | Monastery Guest Dining Room |
| 3:00 pm | Good Friday liturgy | Monastery Assembly Room |
| 5:00 pm | Dinner (in silence) | Monastery Guest Dining Room |
| 6:30-9:00 pm | Companioned silence | RGH 222 |
Saturday, March 27
| Breakfast on your own | RGH 108 | |
| 7:35 am | Centering prayer (optional) | Monastery Oratory |
| 8:00 am | Morning prayer (optional) | Monastery Oratory |
| 10:00 am | Lectio divina and contemplative dialogue to prepare for Easter Vigil liturgy | RGH 110 |
| 11:45 am | Midday prayer (optional) | Monastery Oratory |
| Noon | Lunch (in silence) | Monastery Guest Dining Room |
| Afternoon | Afternoon spent in silence | RGH 222 for companioned silence |
| 5:00 pm | Dinner (in silence) | Monastery Guest Dining Room |
| 7:30 pm | Easter Vigil (breaking silence) | Monastery Assembly Room |
| After Vigil | Refreshments | Monastery Guest Dining Room |
| After Refreshments | Meet for companioned conversation about the retreat, and a closing ritual for those departing early (optional) | RGH 110 |
Sunday, March 28
| Breakfast on your own | RGH 108 | |
| 8:00 am | Morning prayer (optional) | Monastery Oratory |
| 9:00 am | Easter Sunday Eucharist | Monastery Assembly Room |
| Immediately following Eucharist | A final gathering from which we take leave from one another | Community Dining Room |
| 11:30 am | Departure |
Facilitator – Pam Shellberg
Pam is the director of spiritual nourishment at Holy Wisdom Monastery. She offers spiritual programs and facilitates a variety of retreats throughout the year. She welcomes this opportunity to create a container in which retreatants can have a deeply meaningful experience of silence and of the mysteries of the Holy Week liturgies.
Cost
$369/person, includes silent retreat, overnights on Thursday, Friday and Saturday; dinners on Thursday, Friday and Saturday; lunches on Friday and Saturday; and breakfasts on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Registration
Please register by March 17, 2027.
There is a 75% refund for cancellations before the March 17 registration deadline, and a 50% refund for cancellations from March 17 until the start of the retreat on April 2.
