Grace & Reflection: A Courage & Renewal® Weekend
2026-02-20 19:00 - 2026-02-22 12:00 (America/Chicago) | Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI, 53562, United States
Grace & Reflection: A Courage & Renewal® Weekend
Each renewal weekend will include creating a quiet, focused, and enlivened space — a Circle of Trust® — where personal, inner wisdom can be heard. There will be a mix of time spent in large group, small group, and individual reflection along with poetry, teaching stories, wisdom traditions, nature, and activities for exploration. We will use these experiences and other rich metaphors to symbolize and discover and explore life questions. Together, we will experience creating spaces in our lives to tend and nurture our desire to live fully with courage and resilience.

Revitalize your commitment to the values that give meaning to your life.
Increase your ability to listen openly and be present.
Learn reflective practices to become more intentional.
Explore questions to build and sustain community.
Expand trustworthy and authentic relationships.

The Circle of Trust® approach is based on the work of Dr. Parker J. Palmer, Founder and Senior Partner Emeritus of the Center for Courage & Renewal, who is a world-renowned writer, speaker and activist. Explore the principles, practices and resources from the Center for Courage & Renewal: https://couragerenewal.org/courage-renewal-approach/
This program is being independently organized and led by a Courage & Renewal Facilitator(s) prepared by the Center for Courage & Renewal.
Schedule
Friday, February 20
3:00 pm – Check-in for Retreatants Staying in RGH
6:30 pm – Registration
7:00-9:00 pm – Session One
Saturday, February 21
9:00-10:15 am – Session Two
10:15-10:30 am – Break
10:30 am-12:00 pm – Session Three
12:00-1:30 pm – Lunch and Free Time
1:30-3:00 pm – Session Four
3:00-3:15 pm – Break
3:30-5:00 pm – Session Five
5:15 pm – Dinner
Sunday, February 22
10:00 am-12:00 pm – Session Six
Leaders – Mary Louise Peters, MSE & Amy Christianson, EdD

Mary Louise Peters is a Courage & Renewal® Facilitator, providing retreats and renewal experiences since 2010. She has worked as an educator and consultant at local, state and national levels to improve early childhood and special education for children and families, teaching practices and conditions for staff, and state educational systems.

Amy Christianson recently completed the Courage & Renewal® Practicum Program. Amy has been a participant in a number of seasonal and Circle of Trust retreats. She has a long professional career in education within early childhood, K-12 and higher education settings. Amy’s background includes educational leadership, organizational change and working with diverse populations.

Cost
$250 commuter; $435 residential
Register
Please register by February 13, 2026. The maximum number of participants is 18 and registration will close when full.
Cancellation policy – if you register but must cancel your registration, you can receive a 75% refund up until February 13, 2026. After that, a 50% refund is available until the retreat starts.

Upcoming Courage & Renewal Weekend
Save the dates for the next Courage & Renewal Weekend, May 29-31, “Wonder and Hope”

Spring Emergence: A Seasonal Retreat
2026-04-14 08:00 - 2026-04-15 12:00
A faint gauze of spring green is appearing on the prairie’s winter browns, welcoming you to look for your own signs of new growth. What is emerging can’t be hurried, but calls for patient restraint and holding a space for quiet wonder. This spring retreat invites you sit with the first indications of a new season of life – on the prairie and in your own life and heart. It will hold space for your hushed anticipation and gentle tending.
Conversations about the season, walks on the prairie, naps, art, movement, journaling, great meals, and welcoming accommodations will all be a part of what you can expect when you arrive. A renewed connection to nature and to yourself, along with joy in the anticipation of new things emerging are what you can expect to take with you when you leave.
Seasonal Retreats
Each season this year, we will offer a different seasonal retreat. They will open spaces where each different season can offer its unique wisdom to us in the changing seasons of our lives. Each retreat is a two-day, one-night experience at Holy Wisdom with cozy accommodations, delicious meals, spacious time periods for solitude, reading and rest and contemplative conversations with other retreatants. There will also be a variety of opportunities to explore the prairies and the season and discover their gifts for you.
Upcoming Retreats

Summer Plentitude – July 14-15, 2026 (Wed./Thu.)

Fall Fallowing – October 16-17, 2026 (Fri./Sat.)

Spring Emergence Date/Times
Tue., Apr. 14, 8:00 am – Wed., Apr. 15, 12:00 pm, 2026
Cost
$260/person
The cost of the retreat includes program, meals (Tuesday lunch, dinner and Wednesday breakfast) and overnight room.
Register
The registration deadline for this retreat is April 2, 2026, or when the retreat fills.
Cancellation policy – if you register but must cancel your registration, you can receive a 75% refund up until April 3rd. After that, a 50% refund is available until the retreat starts.
After you register, if you would like to request a double room with another retreatant or if you have other questions about accommodations, please contact us at retreats@holywisdommonastery.org.

Wonder & Hope: A Courage & Renewal® Weekend
2026-05-29 19:00 - 2026-05-31 12:00
Are you seeking ways to focus on positivity “these days”?
Register and join us for a spacious weekend at Holy Wisdom Monastery for Wonder & Hope: A Courage & Renewal® Experience, May 29-31, 2026. Within the abundance of Holy Wisdom, our retreat sessions will focus on grounding ourselves within touchstones of presence, welcome, listening to our inner teacher, turning to the wonder of how grace moves in our lives, and carrying hope forward.
Participants comment that “the welcoming spirit, the quiet, the art and poetry, the kindness and the experience of community” support their participation in a variety of experience during the weekend retreat. We trust that the spirit of renewal will move within you during your time in an active circle of participants, time in silence, and opportunities to be in Wisdom Prairie. Bring yourself just as you are — All Are Welcome!
This retreat is based on the Courage & Renewal approach, Center for Courage & Renewal® founded by Parker J Palmer, PhD
“Hope is holding a creative tension between what is and what could and should be,
each day doing something to narrow the distance between the two.” -Parker J Palmer, PhD
Schedule
Friday, May 29
3:00 pm – Check-in for retreatants staying in the RGH
6:30 pm – Registration
7:00 pm – Session One
Saturday, May 30
9:00-10:15 am– Session Two
10:15-10:30 am – Break
10:30 am-12:00 pm – Session Three
12:00-1:30 pm – Lunch and Free time
1:30-3:00 pm – Session Four
3:00-3:30 pm – Break
3:30-5:00 pm – Session Five
5:15 pm – Dinner
Sunday, May 31
10:00 am-12:00 pm – Session Six
Leaders – Mary Louise Peters, MSE & Amy Christianson, EdD

Mary Louise Peters is a Courage & Renewal® Facilitator, providing retreats and renewal experiences since 2010. She has worked as an educator and consultant at local, state and national levels to improve early childhood and special education for children and families, teaching practices and conditions for staff, and state educational systems.

Amy Christianson recently completed the Courage & Renewal® Practicum Program. Amy has been a participant in a number of seasonal and Circle of Trust retreats. She has a long professional career in education within early childhood, K-12 and higher education settings. Amy’s background includes educational leadership, organizational change and working with diverse populations.

Cost
$250 commuter; $435 residential
Register
Please register by May 21, 2026. The maximum number of participants is 18 and registration will close when full.
Cancellation policy – if you register but must cancel your registration, you can receive a 75% refund up until May 21, 2026. After that, a 50% refund is available until the retreat starts.

Summer Plentitude: A Seasonal Retreat
2026-07-14 13:00 - 2026-07-15 16:00
A riot of color on the prairie welcomes you to seek and celebrate your own abundance. This summer retreat invites you sit with the lush growth of the season – on the prairie and in your own life and heart. It will hold space for attention to both.
Conversations about the season, walks on the prairie, naps, art, movement, journaling, great meals and welcoming accommodations will all be a part of what you can expect when you arrive. A renewed connection to nature and to yourself, along with joy in the plentitude and abundance of the season are what you can expect to take with you when you leave.
Seasonal Retreats
Each season this year, we will offer a different seasonal retreat. They will open spaces where each different season can offer its unique wisdom to us in the changing seasons of our lives. Each retreat is a two-day, one-night experience at Holy Wisdom with cozy accommodations, delicious meals, spacious time periods for solitude, reading and rest and contemplative conversations with other retreatants. There will also be a variety of opportunities to explore the prairies and the season and discover their gifts for you.
Upcoming Retreats

Fall Fallowing – October 16-17, 2026 (Fri./Sat.)

Summer Plentitude Date/Times
Tue., Jul. 14, 1:00 pm – Wed., Jul. 15, 4:00 pm, 2026
Cost
$295/person ($260/person early bird registration until June 6th, 2026)
The cost of the retreat includes program, meals (Tuesday dinner, Wednesday breakfast and lunch) and overnight room.
Register
The registration deadline for this retreat is July 6th, 2026, or when the retreat fills.
Cancellation policy – if you register but must cancel your registration, you can receive a 75% refund up until July 7th. After that, a 50% refund is available until the retreat starts.
After you register, if you would like to request a double room with another retreatant or if you have other questions about accommodations, please contact us at retreats@holywisdommonastery.org.
