A Yearly Cycle of Silent Retreats
Simone Weil, who served the French Resistance during WWII, died at the age of 33 trying to live on the food rations of a French workman in occupied France. Through her posthumous writings, she became a kind of apostle of the spiritual life in the first decades following the war. At the heart of her insights is her definition of prayer as attention: "God can only disclose the Divine whispers to those who are attending."
The Retreats of Silence create spaces that are designed for attending—listening, praying, being still (napping if that is needed), and hearing God—in ways that are not always available on a daily basis. These retreats are guided for the novice but open enough to allow for flexibility for those who are more familiar with this spiritual practice.
We believe that extended times of silence, periods of solitude, and just quiet moments are so rare in our contemporary times that when we do make a place to listen to God, remarkable things can happen. The following are times Hungry Souls offers opportunity to get away with God.
Spring Slowing for the Soul: A Half-Day Pause for Women
We offer an annual half-day pause each spring for women at the Cenacle Retreat Center in Warrenville, IL. This year Karen Mains and spiritual director Brenna Jones looked at how our bodies can be used as better aids to our prayers.
The topic of the 2008 half-day spring slowing will be posted in January 2008.
FULL! Mountain Women Getaway October 14-20 or October 21-27
Spend 7 days in the mountains of North Carolina and plunge into the culture of the Middle South. We will be staying at the summer cabin of Valerie Bell. There is room for 6 women. We offered this for the first time last year and were both surprised and enchanted with our time: Walks on mountain paths, cooking in the kitchen together, trout fishing (at a trout farm—the fish tastes wonderfully fresh, just the same), shopping at the farmer’s markets, long leisurely breakfast conversations (stimulated by the Foxfire series), hunting out local fall festivals. Unplanned events included rainy days and reading, cutting down fallen trees with power saws to clear the creek, and the wonderful feeling of having enough time together to really become acquainted—a rare commodity, we suddenly realized. Click here to download a powerpoint that contains pictures of the retreat center. Land fee is $550. Contact is Valerie Bell. Email: valeriebell@comcast.net.
Annual Advent 24-Hour Women's Retreat of Silence
Tuesday and Wednesday, December 4-5, 2007. Fee is $95 per person. Single rooms assigned to first-comes. Bishop Lane Retreat Center inh Rockford, IL, Sybil Towner, Director of Mentoring Ministries at Willow Creek Church in Barrington, IL and Valerie Bell, author and retreat leader, will lead. Click here to read an informational flyer.
A Month of Mondays 24-Hour Silent Retreat for Men and Women Who Minister
Choose a Monday/Tuesday, each week of January 2008, and David or Karen Mains will be available to greet, get you started into silence, then meet for individual listening appointments if you so desire. Private rooms with baths and three meals (two eaten in silence) will be available. The Cenacle at Warrenville, IL.
Lenten Teach-In: A Half-Day Pause
To be announced.
Registration for any of these events by e-mail at or by phone at 630-231-9137. Directions will be given upon registrations. If you fly in from out of state, we will be happy to arrange airport transportation.
