Restore the soul with a spiritual retreat

By Donna Williams Lewis

In a world full of distractions — from endless TV channels to constantly breaking news to social media — it feels like a gift to step onto the sacred grounds of The Monastery of the Holy Spirit.

It is the 75th anniversary of this 2,300-acre oasis of peace in Conyers where 29 Trappist monks live together in solitude and silence and in lives that are rooted in prayer, study and work.

The monks meet seven times a day for communal prayer beginning with Vigils at 4 a.m. and ending with Compline (evening prayers) at 7:30 p.m. Most of these services are open to the public in the Abbey Church.

The monastery also offers extended opportunities to revitalize the spirit and rejuvenate the soul through a retreat center that can house up to 40 guests.

Brother Callistus Crichlow, who handles public relations and development for the monastery, said the retreat center is the monastery’s way of sharing the fruits of monastic life with the community at large.

“The fruits would be hospitality, spiritual insight, spiritual understanding, prudence, wisdom, compassion, the gifts of the spirit,” he said. “These are gifts not just for us, but for all.”

Here, you can step away from the noise of the world and “devote your whole being to thoughts of God, thinking of God and praying with God,” Crichlow said.

Some of the monastery’s retreats provide a quiet and contemplative atmosphere while others offer opportunities for sharing and mutual support. Personal retreats are also available when there is no scheduled program. The monastery retreats are open to people of all faiths and to those searching for faith.

The monastery began in 1944 when 21 Trappist monks left the Gethsemani Abbey in Kentucky to found a monastery in the rural Georgia wilderness.

The very striking Abbey Church, which was built by the monks, features large stainedglass windows and 30-inch walls and was recently designated “Georgia’s Most Remarkable Concrete Building” as described in “The History of Engineering in Georgia.”

In addition to joining monks for services, visitors can tour the Monastic Museum at the Visitor Center; learn about the art of bonsai and shop for gifts at the Monastery Garden Center; visit the Abbey Store, which features a wide variety of gifts, books and fudge, fruitcake and biscotti made by the monks at the Monastery Bakery; and enjoy the grounds, which include the Prayer Walk, the Monastery Lakes and the Rockdale River trail.

Among upcoming monastery retreats are a Contemplative Prayer retreat on April 7; “Palm Sunday: Meeting Jesus during Holy Week” on April 12-14; Sacred Triduum on April 18-21; and the Divine Mercy Retreat on April 26-28.

Here are a few other places in metro Atlanta and beyond where you can find spiritual retreats.

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Ignatius House Jesuit Retreat Center

Opened in 1960, Ignatius House was created to “provide retreat and spiritual renewal for those seeking to discover and live out God’s will in their lives,” according to its website.

Located on 20 heavily wooded acres overlooking the Chattahoochee River, the center welcomes nearly 3,000 retreatants annually. Guests enjoy private bedrooms and bathrooms, chefprepared nutritious meals, sacred spaces throughout the grounds and liturgies in the St. Ignatius Chapel.

Retreats are based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, a published set of Christian contemplations and prayers. Unless otherwise noted, they are all silent retreats directed by certified spiritual directors.

Ignatius House offers Days of Reflection (one-day events), weekend retreats and Individually Directed Retreats that offer silence and solitude over five or eight days. Month-long retreats are also available for guests who want to do the full Spiritual Exercises. Offsite retreats are offered as well.

Guests have said Ignatius House retreats helped them acquire peace and feel refreshed and renewed.

“Silence allowed me to slow down and hear the voice of God in a very real way,” one guest wrote in a comment shared by Ignatius House.

“Ignatius House has always been a refuge for me. A peaceful environment with a sense of God’s Presence. … Meals were restaurant quality!” wrote another guest. “Thank You for providing the means for this special God-filled weekend!”

Among its upcoming seasonal retreats, the center will host “LENT: Season, Symbol, Sign and Summons” with Joseph Lingan, S.J. on March 7-10. And on April 18-21, there’s an Easter Triduum Retreat with Ignatius House staff. An 8-day Holy Week retreat is also offered.

Atlanta Soto Zen Center

Soto Zen, one of the major sects of Zen Buddhism, emphasizes

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