Our goal is to provide you a spiritually fulfilling weekend at St. Leo Abbey Retreat Center. Having participated in many retreats, we know how important it is that each retreatant strives for that which will be most beneficial to all. To assure that each person attending has the opportunity to derive all they can from the retreat, we have established guidelines. Please make special note of any underlined areas.
Please wear clothing appropriate for a spiritual setting. We suggest comfortable and loose fitting clothing. Please, no revealing or extremely tight fitting clothing such as spandex. Bring a jacket or sweater in case you find the air-conditioned areas uncomfortable. We also suggest a comfortable pair of walking shoes. Dress jeans are fine, as are just above the knee walking shorts, however, shorts and shirts without collars are not permitted in the Abbey Church or the dinning room (STRICTLY ENFORCED). The floors with rooms house both males and females, so be sure you bring appropriate attire for trips to and from the showers. If you are in doubt about what clothing is appropriate, please contact us before you pack.
Room assignments are completed before the retreat and cannot be changed at the retreat center. If you have a specific roommate request, let us know early. If not, we will choose and assign you a roommate. Married couples may room together, if they wish. Otherwise, we assign men with men and women with women. Guest rooms have individual air-conditioners.
Retreatants who wish to smoke may do so only on the balcony or outside the building. Retreatants may not smoke anywhere inside the buildings. All cigarette butts must be properly disposed in the ash cans provided. Notify us early if you are a smoker and would like to have a room as close as possible to the balcony.
If you find, after reading this orientation, that you do not wish to attend "QUEST", notify us within 10 days of our sending your confirmation and we will refund your deposit. Refunds are not allowed after 10 days of our sending your confirmation, nor for any payments made within thirty days of a retreat. You may transfer any payment you have made to us to a not currently registered person for the same retreat only. You must contact us before the retreat to transfer deposits, and you must provide us with the new person's registration information. To the best of our ability we will work with you on money matters, but you must communicate with us. Under no circumstances are monies or registration changes handled at the retreat center. Please contact us if you have any questions regarding cancellations and refunds.
The only way to request reservations during the two weeks immediately preceding a retreat is via telephone. Mailed reservation requests received within two weeks of a retreat may be returned. PLEASE register early.
Six meals are prepared for you: dinner Friday evening; breakfast, lunch and dinner Saturday; breakfast and lunch Sunday. Menus are at the discretion of the chef. If you require a special diet, please let us know early. We will make every effort to fit your needs. Snacks are provided for the Friday and Saturday night coffee breaks. All meals are meetings, so even if you do not wish to eat, you need to show up and fill your place at the meeting. Someone will assign your dining room seats by the random placing of name tags before each meal. Moving name tags is a no-no. Food and/or drinks are not permitted in guest rooms.
A private mass is said for our retreat members who wish to attend Saturday at 3:45 p.m. Also, we are invited to the monks' prayers Sunday morning at 7:45 a.m. These are not official functions of the retreat, however, all retreatants are invited to attend.
Our hosts for the weekend are the Benedictine Monks of St. Leo Abbey. Some monks are priests and others are not; all are "brothers." You will have an opportunity to meet and share with many of them. Sometimes you will see them in their traditional black habits, other times in jeans and sneakers. You will find them to be regular people who have responded to a special Calling. Part of the Calling is to provide a retreat center so people like us can continue to heal and grow. We hope they will become as special in your life as they have in ours.
