How to Schedule A Guided Weekend Retreat
A weekend retreat at Mother of the Redeemer Monastery can offer a quiet rhythm of prayer, liturgy, silence, and reflection. For guests accustomed to a busy schedule, the monastery’s setting in Plaisance, Louisiana, provides space to step away from ordinary demands and listen more attentively to God.
Scheduling a guided retreat begins with a thoughtful inquiry rather than an assumption that every weekend follows the same pattern. The community’s prayer schedule, feast days, retreats, visitor arrangements, and available guidance may vary, so advance communication is essential.
A successful visit also depends on knowing what kind of retreat you are seeking. Some guests may want structured spiritual direction and recommended reading, while others may need a peaceful place for personal prayer with opportunities to participate in the liturgy. Explaining your hopes clearly helps the monastery determine whether your request fits its current ministry and schedule.
Begin With The Monastery’s Visitor Information
Start by reviewing the monastery’s website for current information about the Benedictine community, prayer life, visitors, retreats, and contact details. This first step can answer practical questions before you send an inquiry and help you become familiar with the monastery’s Olivetan Benedictine character.
When contacting the monastery, state that you are requesting a guided weekend retreat. Include your preferred arrival and departure dates, the number of people attending, your interest in spiritual guidance, and any accessibility or dietary concerns. If your dates are flexible, mention that as well; flexibility can make it easier to find a weekend that works with the monastic schedule.
Ask what “guided” means for the particular retreat you are requesting. Guidance could involve a conversation at the beginning and end of the stay, suggested Scripture and prayer practices, participation in community liturgy, or a more regular spiritual direction arrangement. Clarifying this before arrival prevents confusion and allows you to prepare appropriately.
Choose Dates That Support A Prayerful Rhythm
A weekend retreat commonly involves arriving on Friday and leaving on Sunday, but the exact timetable should be confirmed directly. The monastery may have scheduled liturgical celebrations, community observances, feast days, or other commitments that affect guest availability. Do not build travel plans around an assumed arrival time until the monastery has approved your dates.
Consider what you want the retreat to accomplish. A weekend focused on discernment may require more quiet and fewer activities than a retreat centered on learning about monastic prayer. A guest seeking renewal after a difficult season may benefit from a simple structure of rest, spiritual reading, Mass, and guided conversation.
It is also wise to ask about overnight arrangements, meals, transportation, parking, costs, and what to bring. If accommodations are limited or unavailable on a particular weekend, the monastery may explain alternative options or recommend another arrangement. Receiving these details in writing gives you a dependable plan for the journey.
Prepare For The Monastic Schedule
Monastic life is organized around prayer, and visitors should expect the weekend to be shaped by the community’s liturgical rhythm rather than by a retreat-center program packed with activities. Before arriving, learn about the Liturgy of the Hours so that the names and purpose of the prayer offices are familiar.
Ask which services guests may attend and whether there are customs concerning silence, seating, clothing, phones, or movement around the monastery. Some practices may be obvious once you arrive, but knowing them beforehand helps you enter the environment respectfully and without unnecessary anxiety.
Pack modest, comfortable clothing suitable for prayer and worship, along with a Bible, journal, pen, needed medications, and any approved devotional materials. A phone can be useful for travel, but placing it on silent and limiting its use will protect the stillness of the retreat. Avoid bringing a schedule so full of reading and projects that there is no room for rest.
| Retreat Planning Area | What To Confirm Before Arrival | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Dates and timing | Arrival, departure, check-in, and check-out | Prevents travel conflicts and late arrivals |
| Spiritual guidance | Meeting format, frequency, and expectations | Creates a realistic plan for discernment |
| Prayer and liturgy | Services open to guests and participation customs | Helps you join the community respectfully |
| Accommodation | Sleeping arrangements, meals, and accessibility | Allows practical needs to be addressed early |
| Personal preparation | Clothing, books, technology, and quiet practices | Supports a focused and peaceful retreat |
Build A Simple Weekend Retreat Plan
A guided retreat benefits from a light structure. Friday can be devoted to arrival, settling in, and an opening conversation about your intentions. Rather than trying to solve every spiritual question immediately, use the first evening to become attentive to the monastery’s pace.
Saturday often provides the longest period for prayer and reflection. Depending on the arrangements, the day may include liturgical prayer, Mass, spiritual reading, silence, a guided conversation, and time outdoors or in personal reflection. Leave open spaces between activities so that insights can develop without pressure.
Sunday can serve as a time for thanksgiving and integration. Before leaving, review what you have noticed, what prayer practices you want to continue, and whether a follow-up conversation would be helpful. A retreat becomes more fruitful when its graces are carried into ordinary life through one or two concrete commitments.
Participate Respectfully In The Liturgy
Guests are often drawn to a monastery because they want to encounter prayer as a shared, steady practice. Participation in Mass or the Divine Office is therefore more than an item on a weekend itinerary. It is an opportunity to join the Church’s worship while observing the community’s particular rhythm.
If you have not attended Mass at a monastery before, reading what to expect at Mass can make your first visit more comfortable. Confirm the current schedule directly, since liturgical times can change for pastoral or community reasons.
Pay attention to the way the monks move, sing, listen, and observe silence. Visitors do not need to imitate every monastic practice perfectly; a respectful presence, attentive participation, and willingness to follow local directions are sufficient. If you are uncertain about Communion, prayer books, or where to sit, ask in advance or quietly follow the guidance provided.
Make Guided Conversations Meaningful
Before your retreat, write down a few questions that express your real concerns. These might involve vocation, prayer, grief, work, family life, conversion, or the desire to grow in closeness to Christ. A short list is usually more helpful than an attempt to explain every detail of your life at once.
Spiritual guidance is not the same as receiving instant solutions. A monk or retreat guide may help you recognize patterns, examine your prayer, distinguish passing emotion from deeper conviction, and identify a faithful next step. Bring honesty and patience to the conversation, especially when the answer is not immediately clear.
Protect the confidentiality and boundaries of the arrangement by asking how conversations will be scheduled and whether ongoing direction is available after the weekend. If the monastery cannot provide the exact form of guidance you need, its response may still help you identify an appropriate parish or spiritual director for continued support.
Prepare For A Fruitful Retreat
A few practical decisions can make the weekend calmer and more attentive:
- Contact the monastery well in advance, especially for popular seasons, feast days, or limited accommodations.
- Describe your spiritual purpose clearly while remaining open to the community’s available format.
- Confirm lodging, meals, arrival instructions, liturgy times, costs, and contact procedures before traveling.
- Bring modest clothing, a journal, Scripture, medications, and only the technology you genuinely need.
- Plan a quiet period after returning home so you can reflect on what the retreat revealed.
The most important preparation is interior. Arrive without demanding a particular emotional experience or immediate answer. Prayer may bring clarity, consolation, challenge, or simply a renewed capacity to remain faithful in small things. A guided weekend retreat creates conditions for listening; it does not replace the gradual work of discernment.
When you write to schedule your visit, be courteous, specific, and patient. Include enough information for the monastery to respond responsibly, then allow time for the community to review your request. Once your dates are confirmed, keep the written details available during travel and arrive ready to participate in a prayer-centered Benedictine environment.
Begin the process by reviewing the monastery’s current visitor information and sending a clear retreat inquiry. With advance planning, realistic expectations, and an open heart, your weekend can become a meaningful time of worship, silence, guidance, and renewed attention to God.