Silent Retreat Information
The Blue Hole
at John Knox RanchSt. Hildegard’s offers two silent retreats, one during Advent and one during Lent, as times of communal silence.
The structure is very simple. We gather Friday evening for supper, listening as each person speaks briefly of current joys and struggles. With busy lives, getting here hasn’t been easy; now it’s time for relaxation and moments of laughter. Happiness, weariness and expectation are woven together. Later there is orientation about the schedule and expectations during Silence, telling newcomers about hiking trails, art supplies and how to seek spiritual direction if needed.
About 9:30 p.m. we worship and “Enter into the Silence.” If it is cold enough for a fire in the fireplace, some will stay and gaze into the flames while others are eager for bed or a walk to enjoy the stars. There will be no talking, working, reading or connecting to the web until Sunday. This fast from the ordinary ‘noise’ allows a new inner spaciousness. There may be some anxiety but always a sense of embracing the Silence as a treasure.
We generally meet at John Knox Ranch in Wimberly, Texas or Cedarbrake Retreat Center in Belton.
