Holy Week Silent Retreat
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 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) will add depth to the experience, as will opportunities for lectio divina and shared reflections on the meaning and mystery of these days.
Retreat Schedule
Thursday, April 2
| 4:00 pm | Orientation | Retreat & Guest House (RGH) 110 |
| 4:30 pm | Brief introduction to the weekend and to each other | RGH 110 |
| 5:00 pm | Dinner and continued orientation Members of Sunday Assembly and other guests at tonight’s liturgy will be sharing a meal in the Monastery Guest Dining Room. We will go through the serving line and eat in the smaller Community Dining Room. We will meet the sisters, complete the orientation and then have some time to gather – if you wish to do so – with the other guests. |
Monastery Community Dining Room |
| 6:00 pm | Holy Thursday Liturgy After this liturgy, we enter into silence until Sat. dinner |
Monastery Assembly Room |
| 8:30-9:30 pm | Companioned silence | RGH 222 |
Friday, April 3
| 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 Good Friday liturgy | 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 |
| 7:30-9:30 pm | Companioned silence | RGH 222 |
Saturday, April 4
| 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 110 for companioned silence |
| 5:00 pm | Dinner (we break the silence) | Monastery Guest Dining Room |
| 7:30 pm | Easter Vigil | Monastery Assembly Room |
| After Vigil | Refreshments | Monastery Guest Dining Room |
| Meet for companioned conversation about the retreat, and a closing ritual for those departing early | RGH 110 |
Sunday, April 5
| 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. As a scripture scholar and educator, she is eager invite people into a deeper appreciation of the texts that shape the Holy Week liturgies. As someone with a contemplative spirit, she is eager to co-create with retreatants a rich and meaningful experience of silence.
Cost
$360/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 25, 2026.
There is a 75% refund for cancellations before the March 25 registration deadline, a 50% refund after the registration deadline until the start of the retreat on April 2.
