Jesus said, ‘Come away to a quiet place all by yourselves and rest awhile’ (Mark 6.31)

A Retreat is a chance to step aside from life for a while, to find space to rest, pray and be refreshed in a nurturing and peaceful environment. Retreats are for ordinary people at any time in their lives. While many retreat goers might be seeking a development or renewal in their relationship with God, you don’t need to be a churchgoer or support any religious movement to consider going on retreat. In fact, whatever their roots or affiliations, most retreat centres will warmly welcome all visitors, from any faith or none, aiming both to make you feel at home and comfortable, and to help you get the most out of your time with them.

Quiet Days are day-retreats for small groups. They usually include times of prayer and worship, short reflections on a theme led by a retreat leader, and time to reflect alone. Some will also provide a simple lunch and/or other refreshment.

Retreat Houses are often beautiful or historic buildings with gardens; some also have libraries, art rooms and prayer rooms that you can use. They vary in size from very small (1 or 2 rooms) to very large (for more than 100 people). Whilst some of the smaller places are self-catering, many retreat houses offer overnight accommodation and provide good home-cooked food; most also have facilities for those with disabilities.

Online retreats and quiet days are becoming increasingly popular. These are structured in the same way as ‘in-person’ retreats, but you will need to create your own still and peaceful space at home in which to participate most effectively. Prayers, worship and short reflections are delivered by a retreat leader at intervals through the day, usually by Zoom or Teams, and then you will be given time to reflect or pray alone. Sometimes there are opportunities to talk to other participants over lunchtime.