Programme
‘Lord, teach us to pray’
Led by Audrey Hamilton
Seven week course on prayer, beginning on Wednesday 5 November on Zoom, 7-8pm
Prayer is at the heart of any relationship with God, and this plea from the disciples to Jesus is the universal plea of all who long to draw closer to God. And yet God is already closer to us than we can ever imagine. Prayer helps us realise that. Our short course will look at different ways of praying, with emphasis on the relationship with God that they foster rather than as techniques to be mastered.
Themes will include the Lord’s Prayer, that response of Jesus to the disciples’ request, along with Lectio Divina/Sacred Reading, Imaginative Prayer, Praying with Art and Centering Prayer. Sessions will consist of input on the particular theme of the evening, with times of silence followed by a plenary session as we grow together into a praying community. Additional material will also be offered at the end of each session should people wish to go deeper in their own prayer time during the subsequent week.
Whether you are ‘new’ to prayer – and in a sense we all begin again each day – or have been praying for a long time and are seeking some additional inspiration, we hope this course has something for you. A commitment to attend all seven sessions if possible would be helpful.
The course will meet on Zoom on the following Wednesdays:
· Wednesday 5 November, 7pm - 8pm
· Wednesday 12 November, 7pm - 8pm
· Wednesday 19 November, 7pm - 8pm
· Wednesday 26 November, 7pm - 8pm
· Wednesday 3 December, 7pm - 8pm
· Wednesday 10 December, 7pm - 8pm
· Wednesday 17 December, 7pm - 8pm
Cost: £55
Longing for God: Individually Guided Retreat
Led by the House of Prayer Team
A silent individually guided retreat for busy people, those who have not made a retreat before, or for anyone who needs time away to stop, breathe, and pray. A trained spiritual director will be available for daily individual meetings to accompany you through the retreat. Above all, this retreat is a time of listening to God who is present in the experiences of prayer and daily living.
Arrive in time for supper at 7pm on Friday and depart by 3pm on Sunday.
Cost:
Standard: £210
Awakening the Heart
Led by Briji Waterfield
Meditation in the Christian tradition has been called ‘the prayer of the heart’ which leads to the core and essence of who we are. In the awakening we discover our intimacy with God, transforming our life. In the silence, stillness and simplicity of meditation we uncover our deepest reality and our connection to all that is.
A weekend retreat suitable for those who are on their journey of meditation and would like to go deeper. It is also suitable for those who would like to learn how to meditate in the Christian tradition. There will be input, times of silence, personal reflection and group discussions to explore spiritual realities.
Cost:
Standard: £220
Longing for God: Individually Guided Retreat
Led by the House of Prayer Team
A silent individually guided retreat for busy people, those who have not made a retreat before, or for anyone who needs time away to stop, breathe, and pray. A trained spiritual director will be available for daily individual meetings to accompany you through the retreat. Above all, this retreat is a time of listening to God who is present in the experiences of prayer and daily living.
Arrive in time for supper at 6pm and depart by 3pm.
Cost:
Standard: £210
‘An intimate sharing between friends…’
FULLY BOOKED
Led by Audrey Hamilton
Such was the simple, yet profound, description of prayer given to us by St Teresa of Avila. A warm, friendly and engaging personality, and the first woman to be declared a Doctor of the Church, in September 1970, she is the great teacher on prayer.
Join us as we learn from her writings and example how it is ‘important not to think much but to love much’ and to entrust everything to the One whom she knows dwells within us and delights in us. We will learn that prayer is not complicated but an exercise in love and friendship, embracing both the contemplative and apostolic dimensions of life.
Starts at 10am and finishes at 4pm. Please bring a packed lunch.
Cost: £35
Including B&B (Fri – Sat): £100
Advent Retreat: Awakening hope
Led by the House of Prayer Team
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad;
the desert shall rejoice and blossom. (Isaiah 35: 1)
As we approach Christmas, this residential retreat will offer a silent and creative space to pray and reflect as we wait in joyful hope and expectancy for the coming of Christ. This retreat will include regular input and meditations on Scripture, poetry and music, and space for personal reflection and prayer.
Arrive in time for supper at 7pm on Friday and depart by 3pm on Sunday.
Cost:
En-suite: £240
Standard: £220
Day guest: £110
Quiet Morning: Come near and listen
Led by Kerryn Penson
An invitation to step aside from the pre-Christmas rush and spend some time reflecting on the wonder and mystery of God’s coming amongst us.
Starts at 10am and finishes at 1pm.
Cost: £15
New Beginnings: Individually Guided Retreat
Led by the House of Prayer Team
At the beginning of a new year, this silent retreat offers an opportunity to reflect on your life and find your bearings for the year ahead. A trained spiritual director will be available for daily individual meetings to accompany you through the retreat. Above all, this retreat is a time of listening to God who is present in the experiences of prayer and daily living.
Arrive in time for supper at 7pm on Friday and depart by 3pm on Sunday.
Cost:
Standard: £230
En-suite: £250
Living Presence: A Centering Prayer Weekend
Led by Jill Benet
This weekend retreat offers a gentle yet spacious rhythm of silence, reflection, and rest. Rooted in the Christian contemplative tradition, it centres on the practice of Centering Prayer — a silent, receptive prayer that opens us to the presence and action of God within.
Jill will guide the weekend, bringing years of experience in the contemplative path alongside her work in Inner Relationship Focusing—offering a grounded and spacious way of being with whatever arises.
Drawing on the wisdom of teachers such as Fr. Thomas Keating, Cynthia Bourgeault, and James Finley, the retreat weaves together periods of Centering Prayer each day, shared silence, teachings, optional 1:1 sessions, and space for personal reflection.
Whether you are a beginner establishing your Centering Prayer practice or returning to deepen it, this retreat invites you to rest in the quiet ground of being — to be open to the Divine not through effort, but through presence.
Arrive in time for supper at 7pm on Friday and depart by 3pm on Sunday.
Cost:
Standard: £240
En-suite: £260
Quiet Morning: Standing at the gate
Led by Kerryn Penson
And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year:
“Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.”
“God knows” by Minnie Louise Haskins
Join us for a gentle morning as we seek to draw near God at the start of a new year and make space for listening to our hopes, needs and desires. There will be short led sessions and space for quiet reflection and prayer.
Starts at 10am and finishes at 1pm.
Cost: £15
Making choices with St Ignatius
Led by Benjamin Kerridge
Ignatius offers some wisdom to help us make choices, both the big decisions about what kind of life we lead, and the smaller ones of how we live out our day. The day will offer some input as to how we might pray through the choices we want to make, and how to notice where God is in our every day lives so we can draw closer to God and the consolation God offers.
Starts at 10am and finishes at 4pm. Please bring a packed lunch.
Cost: £35
Cost including B&B: £110
Ben is an Anglican Priest in Hornsey, North London. Ben practises as a spiritual director and teaches on the Ignatian Spirituality Course at the London Jesuit Centre. He is also a member of the dispersed Anglican order, the Company of Mission Priests, inspired by the teachings of St Vincent De Paul. In his spare time he enjoys wild swimming and improvisation.
Longing for God: Individually Guided Retreat
Led by the House of Prayer Team
A silent individually guided retreat for busy people, those who have not made a retreat before, or for anyone who simply needs time and space to stop, breathe, and pray. A trained spiritual director will be available for daily individual meetings to accompany you through the retreat. Above all, this retreat is a time of listening to God who is present in the experiences of prayer and daily living.
Arrive in time for supper at 6pm on Tuesday and depart by 3pm on Thursday.
Cost:
Standard: £230
En-suite: £250
Becoming Presence: An Intensive Journey into Centering Prayer
FULLY BOOKED
Led by Jill Benet
This eight-day intensive retreat provides an opportunity to deepen your practice of Centering Prayer within a small community committed to silence, solitude, and presence. Rooted in the Christian contemplative tradition and inspired by the teachings of Fr. Thomas Keating, the retreat invites participants into an environment of quiet—to rest in a spacious rhythm of prayer, silence, and reflection.
Intensive retreats provide the space to settle deeply into the contemplative journey. There will be extended periods of Centering Prayer, as well as teaching input, optional group sharing, one-to-one meetings with Jill, Lectio Divina, and Contemplative Liturgy. Time outside of group sessions will be held in silence, with ample opportunity for personal reflection, rest, or walking in nature.
This retreat is suitable for those with an established or emerging Centering Prayer practice, and who have ideally attended an Introductory Workshop.
Whether you’re seeking to deepen your practice or to make space to listen more fully to the quiet voice within, this retreat invites you to open to the Divine—not through effort, but through presence.
Arrive in time for supper at 6pm on Sunday and leave after breakfast the following Sunday.
Praying with icons in Lent
Led by Catherine Lomas
As we begin our Lenten journey, this day will allow opportunity to consider the place of icons in our spiritual discipline. We will learn about how the iconographic tradition has developed over centuries and what that means for us as we seek to be united with the spiritual realms through the icon in prayer. The day will provide guided reflections on how we might approach praying with icons, as well as uncluttered time in God’s presence, with the opportunity to spend time with the icons that will be available in the House for the day.
No creative skill is required for this quiet day – just a willingness to be open in prayer. The day does not specifically involve painting or drawing an icon.
Starts at 10am and finishes at 4pm. Please bring a packed lunch.
Cost: £35
Cost including B&B: £110
Longing for God: Individually Guided Retreat
Led by the House of Prayer Team
A silent individually guided retreat for busy people, those who have not made a retreat before, or for anyone who simply needs time and space to stop, breathe, and pray. A trained spiritual director will be available for daily individual meetings to accompany you through the retreat. Above all, this retreat is a time of listening to God who is present in the experiences of prayer and daily living.
Arrive in time for supper at 7pm on Friday and depart by 3pm on Sunday.
Cost:
Standard: £230
En-suite: £250
Lent Retreat: A Journey into God’s Love
Led by Audrey Hamilton
Join us for a time of silence and stillness as we journey through Lent and explore our deepening intimacy with Jesus as beloved disciples. There will be times of guided reflections and space for personal and community prayer with poetry, music and Scripture.
Arrive in time for supper at 7pm on Friday and depart after lunch on Sunday.
Cost:
Standard: £240
En-suite: £260
Lent Quiet Morning: A deserted place
Led by Kerryn Penson
Jesus sustained himself by withdrawing to deserted places to pray alone. This morning offers a quiet clearing to draw near God this Lent. We will ponder the sayings of the early Desert Mothers and Fathers whose heart-wisdom speaks to the challenge of seeking God amid our sometimes frenetic and conflicted lives.
Starts at 10am and finishes at 1pm.
Cost: £15
The Call of Ecological Conversion
Led by Sr MaryAnne Francalanza fcJ
"Living our vocation to be protectors of God's handiwork is essential to a life of virtue" Pope Francis, Laudato Si', #217.
Join us as we explore how to live a life that honours God's presence in all creation. We will find God in the beauty and resilience of creation, and as we look towards Holy Week, we will hear the Cry of the Earth and the Cry of the Poor. The day will include time to listen to God's voice in silence, prayer, and each other.
Starts at 10am and finishes at 4pm. Please bring a packed lunch.
Cost: £35
Cost including B&B: £110
Holy Week: Individually Guided Retreat
Led by the House of Prayer Team
As we journey through Holy Week, this silent retreat offers a time of deeper listening to God who is present in our daily living and experiences. There will be times of community prayer. A trained spiritual director will be available for daily individual meetings to accompany you through the retreat.
Arrive in time for supper at 6pm on Tuesday and depart by 3pm on Thursday.
Cost:
Standard: £230
En-suite: £250
Longing for God: Individually Guided Retreat
Led by the House of Prayer Team
A silent individually guided retreat for busy people, those who have not made a retreat before, or for anyone who simply needs time and space to stop, breathe, and pray. A trained spiritual director will be available for daily individual meetings to accompany you through the retreat. Above all, this retreat is a time of listening to God who is present in the experiences of prayer and daily living.
Arrive in time for supper at 7pm on Friday and depart by 3pm on Sunday.
Cost:
Standard: £230
En-suite: £250
Contemplative Art
Led by Cari Bridgen
Creativity and art can help us connect more deeply with ourselves, God, and the world around us. This course offers an opportunity to explore contemplative art, and our creative expression and prayer. Over six mornings, there will be space to creatively respond to themes exploring the relationship between ourselves, God and creation, including our embodied nature; spirituality, theology and ecology; and our personal response to destruction and the present eco-crisis. Each session will include time for prayer, meditations on a weekly theme, music, practical creative time, and sharing.
This course will meet on six Thursdays between 10am and 1pm:
Thursday 7 May
Thursday 14 May
Thursday 21 May
Thursday 28 May
Thursday 4 June
Thursday 11 June
Cost: £90 (£15 per session)
The Flame of Sacred Love: Exploring the gift of the Holy Spirit
Led by Alison MacTier
The Holy Spirit is an inspiring gift to us and is central to our Christian faith – but it is also something of a mystery that can seem beyond our reach. As we approach Pentecost, we explore what the Holy Spirit might mean for us personally as we try to make sense of how we find our place and purpose in the wider world. We will use Scripture, prayer, poetry, images, art and music to help us explore this theme.
Arrive in time for supper at 7pm on Friday and depart by 3pm on Sunday.
Cost:
Standard: £240
En-suite: £260
Day guest : £125
When the Saints go Marching in
Led by Anne Booth
When the Saints go marching in, do we really want to be in their number? In the Christian tradition we have the Saints, whose stories and images are so familiar that they can feel like our heavenly friends and family, yet sometimes their extraordinary examples of holiness can be hard to reconcile with our own more ordinary lives. How can we be inspired without being demoralised, and how is God inviting us to live out our own call to sainthood? This day will explore the stories of the saints and their spiritualities, and the fact and fiction which surrounds them. We will pray about and ponder the fact that they were real, imperfect people, and, using the Gospels, poetry and the writings of Thomas Merton, consider the part they can play today in inspiring us to love God with all our hearts, souls and minds, and our neighbours as ourselves.
Starts at 10am and finishes at 4pm. Please bring a packed lunch.
Cost: £35
Cost including B&B: £110
Longing for God: Individually Guided Retreat
Led by the House of Prayer Team
A silent individually guided retreat for busy people, those who have not made a retreat before, or for anyone who simply needs time and space to stop, breathe, and pray. A trained spiritual director will be available for daily individual meetings to accompany you through the retreat. Above all, this retreat is a time of listening to God who is present in the experiences of prayer and daily living.
Arrive in time for supper at 7pm on Friday and depart by 3pm on Sunday.
Cost:
Standard: £230
En-suite: £250
Present Tents
Led by Mary Chamberlin
This weekend workshop/retreat is an invitation to rest in peaceful surroundings and recognise an internal space that is within us all. Inhabiting this prayerful place, we can reflect how God longs to lovingly envelope us and waits for our response.
Over this mid-summer weekend, we will use art materials to make marks and/or build 3D images that assure us of God’s vital, constant, unconditional and eternal love. It is not necessary to have any artistic skill or to have had any previous art experience, you are just invited to reflect and respond visually noticing what might be emerging for you as you do so.
Arrive in time for supper at 7pm on Friday and depart by 3pm on Sunday.
Cost:
Standard: £240
En-suite: £260
Day guest: £125
John of the Cross – Our Spiritual Guide on Path to Union with God
Led by Audrey Hamilton
‘If anyone is seeking God, the Beloved is seeking that person much more’
(John of the Cross, The Living Flame of Love 3:28)
Frequently referred to as the ‘Mystical Doctor’ for his writings on the intimacy of union with God in prayer, John of the Cross is a sure guide for our spiritual lives.
Join us as we explore the life and teaching of this great 16th Century Carmelite saint and close associate of St Teresa of Avila. John knew the extremes of poverty, hardship and pain but in the depths of suffering also knew the beauty and goodness of God dwelling deep within his soul. He believed that God pours these gifts on all of creation, clothing everything entirely in beauty and dignity. We come to know and understand this more and more as we are drawn into intimate union with the Beloved.
As we pray with some of John’s writings, so rich in Scripture, may we too rejoice in our Beloved and learn to behold ourselves in his beauty (cf. Spiritual Canticle, 36).
Starts at 10am and finishes at 4pm. Please bring a packed lunch.
Cost: £35
Cost including B&B: £110
Going Deeper: 6-day Individually Guided Retreat
Led by the House of Prayer Team
A silent individually guided retreat for those seeking a longer break to spend time in quiet prayer and reflection. A trained spiritual director will be available for daily individual meetings to accompany you through the retreat. Above all, this retreat is a time of listening to God who is present in the experiences of prayer and daily living.
Arrive in time for supper at 7pm on Friday and depart after breakfast the following Friday.
Cost:
Standard: £735
En-suite: £800
How to live a life without worry in a worrying world: a showing of Love in troubled times
Led by Dr Stefan Gillow Reynolds
The Mysticism of Julian of Norwich
Julian of Norwich was a solitary from late fourteenth century, living through a time of epidemic (the Black Death), social upheaval (the Peasant’s Revolt) and repeated military conflict (the Hundred Years War) - a time of uncertainty not unlike our own and yet she had a message of hope and reassurance. This weekend retreat will look at the Sixteen ‘Showings’ or ‘Revelations’ she received as a young woman and her reflection on their meaning during the time of voluntary ‘lockdown’ as an Anchoress that she chose afterwards. We will explore how the meaning she distills is very helpful and relevant for us today - teaching us how to trust that ‘All will be well.’
Arrive in time for supper at 7pm on Friday and depart by 3pm on Sunday.
Cost:
Standard: £240
En-suite: £260
Day guest: £125
Staying sane in insane times
Led by Simon Parke
The world we inhabit can seem pretty mad at times and often intolerable. Jesus would clearly have agreed. He knew societal insanity in his heart and bones every day. So how did he stay sane? It’s a question worth asking; and the answers may both surprise and delight as we ponder his journey and our own. The day will include input, silence and readings from Simon’s Jesus novel, ‘Gospel, Rumours of Love’ which Bishop Rachel of Gloucester called ‘exhilarating and disturbing’.
Starts at 10am and finishes at 4pm. Please bring a packed lunch.
Cost: £35
Cost including B&B: £110
The Word was made flesh: Contemplation and the Alexander Technique
Led by Margaret Meehan
Jesus says that if we keep his word, then he will make his home in us. This retreat explores the incarnational aspects of our daily lives through prayer and the Alexander Technique. The Alexander Technique is holistic and allows us to release extra tension so that we can become more present in the moment, not only in stillness but also in action. The main principles of the technique will be taught. Natural breathing and the use of the breath to symbolise the Holy Spirit will be explored. We will also touch on maintaining spiritual poise when transitioning from contemplation to movement.
Please be aware that teaching Alexander Technique involves the use of a light hand contact by the teacher.
Arrive in time for supper at 7pm on Thursday and depart by 3pm on Sunday.
Cost:
Standard: £360
En-suite: £390
Longing for God: Individually Guided Retreat
Led by the House of Prayer Team
A silent individually guided retreat for busy people, those who have not made a retreat before, or for anyone who simply needs time and space to stop, breathe, and pray. A trained spiritual director will be available for daily individual meetings to accompany you through the retreat. Above all, this retreat is a time of listening to God who is present in the experiences of prayer and daily living.
Arrive in time for supper at 7pm on Friday and depart by 3pm on Sunday.
Cost:
Standard: £230
En-suite: £250
Longing for God: Individually Guided Retreat
Led by the House of Prayer Team
A silent individually guided retreat for busy people, those who have not made a retreat before, or for anyone who simply needs time and space to stop, breathe, and pray. A trained spiritual director will be available for daily individual meetings to accompany you through the retreat. Above all, this retreat is a time of listening to God who is present in the experiences of prayer and daily living.
Arrive in time for supper at 7pm on Friday and depart by 3pm on Sunday.
Cost:
Standard: £230
En-suite: £250
Entering the Kingdom of God as a little child
Led by Anne Booth
A weekend with Matthew 18: 3 - exploring the spirituality of storytelling and childhood
How do we accept the Kingdom of God like a little child, as Jesus tells us to do, and how can stories help us experience that openness, vulnerability and joy? This weekend will explore how storytelling can help us in our spiritual journey, and how looking at our life through a child’s eyes can draw us closer to God the storyteller, and inspire us as adult disciples. We will take a deeper look both at the stories we are told by society and our families, and the stories we tell ourselves, and compare them to the stories Jesus told us about the Kingdom of God and our place in it. We will ponder how we imagine and experience God as storyteller in our lives, look at images of childhood itself, and discover a range of beautiful classic and contemporary picture books for children, using them as a basis for prayer.
Arrive in time for supper at 7pm on Friday and depart by 3pm on Sunday.
Cost:
Standard: £240
En-suite: £260
Day guest : £125
Praying with all of ourselves
Led by: Karen Wellman
When we pray we instinctively use our bodies because as children we were taught to put our hands together and shut our eyes. What if we could develop that early learning, not just for those times when there are no words, but bringing all of ourselves into prayer?
In this workshop, we will explore prayer without words. We will examine how our bodies can deepen our connection with God during prayer, and learn how to use physical gestures and movements to enhance the prayer experience. We will also explore the barriers that prevent us from bringing our whole selves into prayer. Through reflective practices and experiential learning, we will build a toolkit of embodied prayers that can be used when words fail.
Starts at 10am and finishes at 4pm. Please bring a packed lunch.
Cost: £35
Cost including B&B: £110
Open Door Retreat: Training Retreat Weekend
Led by: Tina Quinn and Sarah van Wely
“Listen, I am standing at the door knocking. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and eat with you, and you with me.” Revelation 2: 20
This weekend training retreat is for those interested in leading an Open Door Retreat in their parish, pastoral area or other environment. Also, for those seeking to refresh their experience of ODRs. The weekend will be experienced on two levels: firstly, you will have authentic experience as a retreatant, and secondly, thorough guidance on facilitating/leading an ODR. All materials will be provided. Participants should have knowledge of Ignatian spirituality, some training and experience in spiritual direction, and ideally attend as pairs with the person with whom they hope to facilitate. ODRs are always facilitated in pairs.
The Open Door Retreat (ODR) was designed in 1980 by two sisters of the Cenacle Community. Based on the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius of Loyola it is a creative, flexible, prayer journey and a wonderful way to make space for reflection ‘in daily life’. It is gentle and non-threatening, and suitable for all who want to enhance and deepen their relationship with God. The Open Door Retreat involves a (one and a half to -two-hour) weekly session for nine weeks. Sessions are experiential in nature and include music, art, poetry, reflection, and sharing – firstly from the ‘team’ of two, and gradually from participants.
Arrive in time for supper at 7pm on Friday and depart by 3pm on Sunday.
Cost:
Standard: £240
En-suite: £260
Day guest : £125
Quiet Morning: Praying the Psalms
Led by Kerryn Penson
When we pray with the Psalms, we share in an unbroken thread of continual prayer that reaches back over 2,000 years. The Psalms not only contain the most beautiful and consoling lines in Scripture, they take us on a tumultuous journey of human emotion and experience lived in relationship with God. This retreat morning offers suggestions to explore how we can pray the Psalms with our own voices, both for ourselves and our communities. Bring a Bible and journal with you.
Starts at 10am and finishes at 1pm.
Cost: £15
Longing for God: Individually Guided Retreat
Led by the House of Prayer Team
A silent individually guided retreat for busy people, those who have not made a retreat before, or for anyone who simply needs time and space to stop, breathe, and pray. A trained spiritual director will be available for daily individual meetings to accompany you through the retreat. Above all, this retreat is a time of listening to God who is present in the experiences of prayer and daily living.
Arrive in time for supper at 7pm on Friday and depart by 3pm on Sunday.
Cost:
Standard: £230
En-suite: £250
Icon-making Workshop
Led by Cari Bridgen
Come and make a Byzantine icon. This introductory course offers participants the opportunity to make an icon over six weeks. All materials will be provided including pigments and an authentic gessoed panel. With Cari’s guidance and support, participants will be able to choose between two head and shoulders Byzantine images. During the course, we will learn how to transfer the drawn image onto the panel, mix pigments and consider colours, and add layers of highlights beginning with the initial Proplasmos. We will not use gold leaf, but there will be gold paint for haloes, wings and garments. At the end of the course, our icons will be blessed.
Please bring a packed lunch. This course will meet on six Wednesdays between 10am and 4pm on the following dates:
Wednesday 28 October
Wednesday 4 November
Wednesday 11 November
Wednesday 18 November
Wednesday 25 November
Wednesday 2 December
Cost: £360
Living from the Heart: Praying with Edith Stein
Led by Kerryn Penson
Join us as we explore the life and writings of the German-Jewish philosopher, Carmelite nun and saint, Edith Stein (St. Theresia Benedicta a Cruce), and her relevance for our prayer and spirituality today.
Edith wrote profoundly on the nature of the spiritual life, inspired by Christian mystics such as Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross, her distinctive philosophy, and the state of degeneration she witnessed creeping across Europe during the Second World War. Through times of input, sharing, and reflection, we will explore Edith’s understanding of our relationship with God, her emphasis on deep listening and contemplation, and her ethical approach to discernment and desire which sought truth and freedom.
Edith Stein speaks directly to the modern challenge of living through, and encountering God in, times of change, crisis, uncertainty and suffering. For Stein, the more deeply we are drawn into God, the more we must go out of our ourselves to carry the divine life into the world around us.
Starts at 10am and finishes at 4pm. Please bring a packed lunch.
Cost: £35
Cost including B&B: £110
Longing for God: Individually Guided Retreat
Led by the House of Prayer Team
A silent individually guided retreat for busy people, those who have not made a retreat before, or for anyone who simply needs time and space to stop, breathe, and pray. A trained spiritual director will be available for daily individual meetings to accompany you through the retreat. Above all, this retreat is a time of listening to God who is present in the experiences of prayer and daily living.
Arrive in time for supper at 7pm on Friday and depart by 3pm on Sunday.
Cost:
Standard: £230
En-suite: £250
Silence & Stillness - Music & Dance
Led by: Briji Waterfield
A weekend to explore what it means to live a contemplative life. Are our times of prayer an escape? Do the strains of daily life just cause us stress? Or is there a way we can enter into deepening levels of silence and stillness and effortlessly move into the music and dance of daily life?
There will be extended periods of meditation and silence and time for input and group discussion. This weekend is suitable not only for those who have a regular practice of meditation but also for those who wish to learn how to meditate in the Christian tradition.
Arrive in time for supper at 7pm on Friday and depart by 3pm on Sunday.
Cost:
Standard: £240
En-suite: £260
Day guest : £125
The Coming of our God
Led by: Brian Purfield
The readings chosen for the season of Advent have an important role to play in leading us to the crib at Christmas. During this retreat day, we will reflect on the Advent readings and be encouraged to be attentive to how God speaks through the texts that we will hear.
Starts at 10am and finishes at 4pm. Please bring a packed lunch.
Cost: £35
Cost including B&B (Friday - Saturday): £110
Waiting, Watching, Awakening: A retreat for Advent
Led by Christopher Chapman
The Christian year begins not with the great feasts of Christmas, Easter or Pentecost but with waiting. Advent is in many ways a stark season – a time to be in touch with our deepest desires and needs. It is a season of longing directed towards Christ, revealed as God-with-us, Emmanuel. Advent is a season of waiting, but in hope and in expectation. Drawing on the message of the prophets, poetry and insights from the Christian spiritual tradition, we will explore the invitation Advent holds for us.
Arrive in time for supper at 7pm on Friday and depart by 3pm on Sunday.
Cost:
Standard: £240
En-suite: £260
Day guest : £125
Arrive in time for supper at 7pm on Friday and depart by 3pm on Sunday.
Advent Quiet Morning: He will come like child
Led by Kerryn Penson
This retreat morning is an invitation to step aside from the busy rush of the season and spend some time reflecting on the wonder and mystery of God’s coming among us.
Starts at 10am and finishes at 1pm.
Cost: £15
Advent: Individually Guided Retreat
Led by the House of Prayer Team
As we approach Christmas, this silent retreat offers a time of deeper listening to God who is present in our daily living and experiences. There will be times of community prayer. A trained spiritual director will be available for daily individual meetings to accompany you through the retreat.
Arrive in time for supper at 6pm on Tuesday and depart by 3pm on Thursday.
Cost:
Standard: £230
En-suite: £250
Retreat practices for busy people
FULLY BOOKED
Led by Dr Gemma Simmonds CJ
Many people long to go on retreat but have neither the time nor the resources to make an extended stay away from work and home possible. Others may worry about the ‘all or nothing’ approach to a retreat away and how they can keep up the momentum of prayer once back in their own routine. Using her book Dancing at the Still Point: Retreat Practices for Busy Lives, Gemma Simmonds explores how to develop and maintain the Ignatian tradition of ‘finding God in all things’ in the ordinary experiences of daily life.
Starts at 10am and finishes at 4pm. Please bring a packed lunch.
Through the door of hope
FULLY BOOKED
Led by Christopher Chapman
Stepping into hope within challenging times
Hope has its roots in a God who is always moving into how things are. The door of hope is open and God steps through it with purpose and compassion. Through this same door we can step out in God into all that is broken apart. Over this weekend we will explore what hope is and how we can move with it when meeting our own challenges and those of our time.
Arrive in time for supper at 7pm on Friday and depart by 4pm on Sunday.
Longing for God: Individually Guided Retreat
FULLY BOOKED
Led by the House of Prayer Team
A silent individually guided retreat for busy people, those who have not made a retreat before, or for anyone who needs time away to stop, breathe, and pray. A trained spiritual director will be available for daily individual meetings to accompany you through the retreat. Above all, this retreat is a time of listening to God who is present in the experiences of prayer and daily living.
Arrive in time for supper at 7pm on Friday and depart by 3pm on Sunday.
Cost:
Ensuite: £230
Standard: £210
Angel Voices
FULLY BOOKED
Led by Dr Antonia Lynn
We shall celebrate the season of Michaelmas, and of the Autumn Equinox, by pausing from our busyness to create a “thin” place together where we can consider the balance of light and darkness, heaven and earth, by exploring together some of the angelic encounters in Scripture. A blend of input, sharing, reflection and creative rest — and a space simply to “be”.
Starts at 10am and finishes at 4pm. Please bring a packed lunch.
Cost: £35
Including B&B (Fri – Sat): £100
Knitting Retreat – Meeting God in our creativity
Led by Sr Cathy Edge
This is an opportunity to spend time knitting together and praying together, along with times for quiet reflection and prayer while exploring how our creativity can help us connect with God who created each one of us in love.
This retreat is for those who know the basics of knitting. You are encouraged to bring your own project with you for you to work on. There will be the opportunity for a ‘knitalong’ together. Yarn and needles will be provided for the ‘knitalong’ and some other small projects.
Arrive in time for supper at 7pm on Friday and depart by 4pm on Sunday.
Cost:
En-suite: £240
Standard: £220
Day guest: £110
Open House
Retreats are for all people at any time of their lives. The House of Prayer offers a breathing space and everything needed for a retreat. Call in, meet the team, and find out more about making a retreat. There will be the opportunity to explore the House and gardens, and refreshments will be provided.
From 10am – 1pm
Quiet Morning: In the waiting
Led by: Kerryn Penson
A quiet morning for those who have not made a silent retreat before, are not sure where to begin, or for those seeking to encounter God in silence. There will be short led sessions exploring silence, prayer and suggestions and space for personal reflection.
Starts at 10am and finishes at 1pm.
Cost: £15
Longing for God: Individually Guided Retreat
Led by the House of Prayer Team
A silent individually guided retreat for busy people, those who have not made a retreat before, or for anyone who needs time away to stop, breathe, and pray. A trained spiritual director will be available for daily individual meetings to accompany you through the retreat. Above all, this retreat is a time of listening to God who is present in the experiences of prayer and daily living.
Arrive in time for supper at 7pm on Friday and depart by 3pm on Sunday.
Cost:
Ensuite: £230
Standard: £210
Prayerful conversations with Mary, Joseph and Jesus
Led by Patrick Coyne
This day provides an opportunity to join the Holy Family in prayer and open our hearts to their love, support and guidance. Alongside Jesus, Mary and Joseph, we will consider the wider and extended Holy Family: Anne, Joachim and Elizabeth, John the Baptist, the disciples, friends and people in the crowd. There will be times of led prayer and meditation, offering suggestions to help our prayerful conversations, along with the opportunity to reflect on the gifts received from our encounter with Mary, Joseph and Jesus.
Starts at 10am and finishes at 4pm. Please bring a packed lunch.
Cost: £35
Including B&B (Fri – Sat): £100
Capturing the gifts of prayer
FULLY BOOKED FOR RESIDENTIAL PLACES - DAY GUEST PLACES REMAINING
Led by Patrick Coyne
An introduction to different ways of praying
When we pray, on occasion we can wonder if anyone is listening, feel ‘stuck’ or be ‘bored’. During difficult times, we can feel called to pray from our depths: we know that we need and want to pray. In happier moments, we might experience the need to thank God for the love and joy we have received. Then there may be times when we need to talk with God about how best to make a decision.
This retreat will provide the opportunity to slow down, rest and wonder about our prayer. We will ponder God’s invitation to us to listen and rest in God, and consider how to pay attention to our unfolding conversation with God over time. We will explore different ways and methods of prayer, including Ignatian prayer, meditation and contemplation, poetry, praying with Scripture, images and music.
Arrive in time for supper at 7pm on Friday and depart by 4pm on Sunday.
Cost:
Day guest: £110
Going Deeper: 6-day Individually Guided Retreat
Led by the House of Prayer Team
A silent individually guided retreat for those seeking a longer break from the busyness of the world to spend time in quiet prayer and reflection. A trained spiritual director will be available for daily individual meetings to accompany you through the retreat. Above all, this retreat is a time of listening to God who is present in the experiences of prayer and daily living.
Arrive in time for supper at 7pm on Friday and depart after breakfast the following Friday.
Cost:
Standard: £670
Time Aside: A Retreat for Spiritual Directors
Led by Sr Anne Dunne and Nicola Mason
A weekend of rest, reflection, silence and prayer
This retreat will give you an opportunity to connect with other Spiritual Directors who are also accompanying people who seek to deepen their relationship with God. You are invited to' come apart' for a time to feel supported, encouraged and refreshed for this beautiful ministry and to set time aside for yourself to slow down and reconnect with your call to this work of the Holy Spirit.
Arrive in time for supper at 7pm on Friday and depart by 3pm on Sunday.
Cost:
En-suite: £240
Standard: £220
Day Guest : £110
Longing for God: Individually Guided Retreat
FULLY BOOKED
Led by the House of Prayer Team
A silent individually guided retreat for busy people, those who have not made a retreat before, or for anyone who needs time away to stop, breathe, and pray. A trained spiritual director will be available for daily individual meetings to accompany you through the retreat. Above all, this retreat is a time of listening to God who is present in the experiences of prayer and daily living.
Arrive in time for supper at 7pm on Friday and depart by 3pm on Sunday.
Cost:
Ensuite: £230
Standard: £210
Walking the Path Together: Lessons from the Mystical Tradition for Christian Living Today
FULLY BOOKED
Led by Peter Tyler
The spiritual path can sometimes be hard, lonely and often difficult to understand (and talk about) – we experience 'highs' and 'lows', light and shadow, refreshment and desolation. The day is an opportunity to reflect on our journeys in the beauty and tranquillity of the House of Prayer and its grounds. Our reflections will be facilitated by the wisdom of scripture, mystical writings and silent contemplation.
Starts at 10am and finishes at 4pm. Please bring a packed lunch.
Cost: £35
Including B&B (Fri – Sat): £100
Ordering Desire
Led by Maria Manuela Silva
Desire motivates, inspires and shapes us - for better or for worse. Scripture has much to say about desire: God’s and our own. This weekend is an invitation to join us in exploring desire through the lens of the Lord’s Prayer: those few short lines Christians have prayed across centuries and traditions. Combining ancient wisdom with modern psychological research, we will delve deep into its key movements to discover the framework and the power that will order our desires.
There will be led reflections and time for individual reflection, sharing, and creative activities. This is not a silent retreat, but the House will be quiet from Evening to Morning Prayer.
Arrive in time for supper at 7pm on Friday and depart by 4pm on Sunday.
Cost:
En-suite: £240 (book now for discounted rate £220)
Standard: £220 (book now for discounted rate £200)
Day guest: £110
Icon-making Workshop
Led by Cari Bridgen
Come and make a Byzantine icon. This introductory course offers participants the opportunity to make an icon over six weeks in the prayerful environment of the House of Prayer. All materials will be provided including pigments and an authentic gessoed panel. With Cari’s guidance and support, participants will be able to make a head and shoulders Byzantine image, choosing from several examples, including the Pantocrator, the Blessed Mary and Child, or an Angel. During the course, we will learn how to transfer the drawn image onto the panel, mix pigments and consider colours, and add layers of highlights beginning with the initial Proplasmos. We will not use gold leaf, but there will be gold paint for haloes, wings and garments. At the end of the course, our icons will be blessed.
Days begin at 10am and finish at 4pm.Please bring a packed lunch.
The workshop will meet weekly on Tuesdays on the following dates:
6, 13, 20, 27 May
3, 10 June
Cost: £300 (for six sessions including materials)
Longing for God: Individually Guided Retreat
FULLY BOOKED
Led by the House of Prayer Team
A silent individually guided retreat for busy people, those who have not made a retreat before, or for anyone who needs time away to stop, breathe, and pray. A trained spiritual director will be available for daily individual meetings to accompany you through the retreat. Above all, this retreat is a time of listening to God who is present in the experiences of prayer and daily living.
Arrive in time for supper at 7pm on Friday and depart by 3pm on Sunday.
Cost:
Ensuite: £230
Standard: £210
Holy Week: Individually Guided Retreat
Led by the House of Prayer Team
As we journey through Holy Week, this silent retreat offers a time of deeper listening to God who is present in our daily living and experiences. There will be times of community prayer. A trained spiritual director will be available for daily individual meetings to accompany you through the retreat.
Arrive in time for supper at 6pm and depart by 3pm on Thursday.
Cost:
Ensuite: £230
Standard: £210
Quiet Morning: Abide with me
Led by Kerryn Penson
A time for prayer, companionship and reflection as we ponder the transformative meaning of abiding in God this Lent.
Starts at 10am and finishes at 1pm.
Cost: £15
Stepping out in Faith: Finding the courage to walk on water
Led by Alison MacTier
Our journey through Lent involves trust and courage. But taking that step is a journey towards becoming truly ourselves. We explore this theme using Scripture, reflective prayer, poetry, images and music.
Starts at 10am and finishes at 4pm. Please bring a packed lunch.
Cost: £35
Including B&B (Fri – Sat): £100
Longing for God: Individually Guided Retreat
Led by the House of Prayer Team
A silent individually guided retreat for busy people, those who have not made a retreat before, or for anyone who needs time away to stop, breathe, and pray. A trained spiritual director will be available for daily individual meetings to accompany you through the retreat. Above all, this retreat is a time of listening to God who is present in the experiences of prayer and daily living.
Arrive in time for supper at 7pm on Friday and depart by 3pm on Sunday.
Cost:
Ensuite: £230
Standard: £210
Open Door Retreat Training Weekend
Led by Tina Quinn and Sarah van Wely
A training weekend retreat for those interested in leading an Open Door Retreat
This training weekend retreat is offered for those who are interested in leading an Open Door Retreat in their parish or pastoral area. Participants should have knowledge of Ignatian spirituality, some training and experience in spiritual direction, and ideally attend as pairs with the person they might facilitate a future Open Door Retreat with. The retreat is also suitable for those seeking to refresh their experience of ODRs.
Cost:
Residential:
En-suite: £230
Standard: £210
Day guest: £90
Approaching ageing with optimism and courage
FULLY BOOKED
Led by Sr Anne Dunne and Chris Cross
Many of us desire healthy and purposeful longer lives. We want to remain relevant and contribute to society, our community, and families – but unhelpful beliefs about ageing may cause us to doubt our strengths, both physically, mentally and spiritually. Where do we set the boundaries so we can give ourselves permission to honour our wiser, older selves?
If you are standing at the crossroads – maybe leading a busy life and wondering ‘what next?’ Or perhaps you are seeing changes and choices on the horizon that would benefit from a positive and constructive mindset then this short course might be for you. It will give you the opportunity to reflect on where and how you are right now and to think about what you desire for the future to help you fully embrace the challenge of getting older and the spiritual gifts it could bring.
Starts at 10.30am and finishes at 1pm.
Course sessions will take place on Fridays on the following dates:
28 February
7, 14, 21, 28 March
Cost: £75 (for all sessions)
Mystery revealed: An introduction to iconography
Led by Cari Bridgen
This day offers an opportunity to explore iconography and reflect on how images affect and enable us to connect with our faith. We will discover how the Eastern Orthodox Church understands iconostasis and ponder how others have used icons in their prayer life. We will spend time in prayer with icons, including those depicting the Annunciation, Christ Pantocrator, Mary and Jesus, and John the Baptist. There will be times of led input and sharing, as well as space for our own prayer and creativity, including drawing our own images and considering the pigments used in iconography.
Starts at 10am and finishes at 4pm. Please bring a packed lunch.
Cost: £35
Including B&B (Fri – Sat): £100
Longing for God: Individually Guided Retreat
FULLY BOOKED
Led by the House of Prayer Team
A silent individually guided retreat for busy people, those who have not made a retreat before, or for anyone who needs time away to stop, breathe, and pray. A trained spiritual director will be available for daily individual meetings to accompany you through the retreat. Above all, this retreat is a time of listening to God who is present in the experiences of prayer and daily living.
Arrive in time for supper at 6pm and depart by 3pm on Thursday.
Cost:
Ensuite: £230
Standard: £210
Living Prayer into Life – God is All in All
FULLY BOOKED
Led by Jill Benet
An invitation to join a small community and immerse yourself fully into the practice of Centering Prayer and its background as taught by Contemplative Outreach.
There will be up to 3 hours of Centering Prayer each day, and the time outside meetings is mainly held in silence. The rhythm of the day will include personal reflection, some activity, contemplative liturgy and Lectio Divina.
We shall draw on the teachings of Fr Thomas Keating and Cynthia Bourgeault as well as opening to our inner promptings. The retreat is suitable for those who have established or are establishing the practice of Centering Prayer. It would be helpful to have attended an introduction to Centering Prayer course or be familiar with the method of Centering Prayer.
Arrive in time for supper at 6pm on 2/2 and depart after breakfast on 9/2.
Cost:
Ensuite: £765
Standard: £700
Praying the Scriptures
FULLY BOOKED
Led by Canon Peter Sills
A prayerful exploration of the evolving story of the Bible
Understanding the Bible can be a bit of a challenge, especially those parts of the scriptures that are remote from our experience. Beginning with the different pictures of God and Jesus that it presents, this exploration helps us to understand the Bible as an evolving story. Meditative and imaginative prayer bring alive the different levels of truth, from the literal to the poetic and symbolic. Getting under the skin of the Bible, we see how ideas of hope and destiny, faith and morality developed alongside changes in life and experience.
Starts at 10am and finishes at 4pm. Please bring a packed lunch.
Cost: £35
Including B&B (Fri – Sat): £100
Living Presence
FULLY BOOKED
Led by Jill Benet
‘Silence moves into stillness and stillness morphs into Presence.’ Thomas Keating
Join a small community for a weekend of prayer and practice, and reconnect with the Presence which surpasses all understanding - a Presence that we find missing and yet, at the deepest root of our self, is always there and always new.
This weekend is a time to refresh your practice of Centering Prayer and supporting practices and to find the place of stillness from which all movement arises.
It will include extended periods of Centering Prayer and silence, some input and a chance to share and to ask questions in the group or one to one with the retreat leader.
Arrive in time for supper at 7pm on Friday and depart by 4pm on Sunday.
Cost:
Ensuite: £240
Standard: £220
New Beginnings: Individually Guided Retreat
FULLY BOOKED
Led by the House of Prayer Team
At the beginning of a new year, this silent retreat offers an opportunity to reflect on your life and find your bearings for the year ahead. A trained spiritual director will be available for daily individual meetings to accompany you through the retreat. Above all, this retreat is a time of listening to God who is present in the experiences of prayer and daily living.
Arrive in time for supper at 7pm on Friday and depart by 3pm on Sunday.
Cost:
Ensuite: £230
Standard: £210
Quiet Morning: A Time for Everything
Led by Kerryn Penson
A gentle and spacious morning to take time to listen to our lives and listen to God at the start of a new year. There will be led reflections and space for personal prayer.
Starts at 10am and finishes at 1pm.
Cost: £15