All the practical information before your retreat

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All the practical information before your retreat: prices, belongings, preparation…

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Spirituality is all well and good, but a little practicality doesn't hurt. So, now that you're determined, like an adventurer of interiority, to go on retreat, what should you do?

Obviously, the most important thing is to have booked your stay on RITRIT, in the abbey whose description and photos have won your heart.

All set? You have the dates, the place, the motivation? Then let's go!

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The journey to yourself

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Knowing where to go is good. Knowing how to get there is better! Book your train tickets directly to the station closest to the abbey in question.

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More critical: you need to get from the station to the abbey! Yes, to escape the noise of the world a little, you need to take some distance! Don't panic, several options are available:

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• Car: you have a driver's license because you're a responsible and serious adult, neat and tidy, congratulations! Perfect, no questions asked. If you don't have one, why not ask a friend to lend you theirs for the short period of a retreat (generally, less than a week)?
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• On foot: 1) you have the temperament of an adventurer (just kidding, it's not necessary) and 2) You walk the few kilometers that usually separate a station from an abbey.

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Walking has many advantages: faced with the beauty of the passing landscape, at the pace of your stride, you step into the shoes of a real pilgrim (for a few hours, not several months). Symbolically, it's a very powerful way to begin a spiritual retreat!

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From a more practical point of view: plan the route in advance, as well as the weather and walking shoes. They'll even be useful on site if you want to venture a little away from the abbey, to walk in nature!

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If neither of these options appeals to you, get in touch with the abbey (give them a call, they're nice people!). Perhaps a compassionate monk could come pick you up, or give you the number of another retreatant with a car!

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"What should I pack?"

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Don't panic, your luggage won't be heavy. You're traveling light in spirit!

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At the abbey, you'll have food and lodging. So no worries about sheets and meals (often very good on site, by the way)!

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• Clothing for the duration of your stay, of course: if you're tempted to attend the divine offices or go to Mass, just remember to bring attire that respects the sacredness of the place. + Toiletries: don't let yourself go… ‍
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• Something to write with: you'll probably be surprised by the need to put your reflections on paper, or your notes during a brief talk, after a meaningful exchange. It's a great pleasure and very interesting to reread what you wrote on site! Students, bring all the books you want, as well as your computer.
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• ‍Something to read: bring reading material! Perhaps more particularly that deeper book, spiritual, that's been waiting for you on your shelf for a long time and that you haven't had the courage to start. You know it's going to make you think!

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Even, why not bring a Bible, to better understand yourself perhaps? In any case, there will be some on site.

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If you could forget your phone, it would only benefit you. More time, more availability to yourself and others, to the atmosphere of the place! That said, abbeys that welcome students for study periods often have WiFi…

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The awkward question (not really)

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An abbey is not a hotel, even if it has a guest house: it's in no way a for-profit business! The monks welcome you because it's part of their duty, and they take pleasure in seeing retreatants join them for a few days!

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The cost of travel is already something. But when it comes to making a free-will offering: according to monastic hospitality rules, there is no fixed price for a stay at an abbey.

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A monastery stay is a time of retreat in silence, organized according to the hospitality and accommodation arrangements specific to each community, for stays averaging a few days. Retreatants are generally invited to participate in the divine offices, and spiritual guidance is often offered. The guest houses, of varying sizes, provide simple but sufficient facilities for basic comfort.

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Staying in a monastic guest house involves participation in daily tasks, such as making your bed or helping with the dishes, as well as a free-will contribution to expenses, the suggested amount of which is specified by each community.

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You give what you feel you should so that the monks can live and continue to welcome retreatants, to maintain the magnificent, often landmark buildings of the abbeys. Also according to your situation! A student isn't necessarily a patron…

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One last important note

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Before leaving for these few days of peace, perhaps tell your loved ones, your friends, even your colleagues, to not bombard you with messages or calls: you won't want to be available to everyone. Only to yourself, to God… We all have the right to keep silence!

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Want to go a little deeper? Discover here the most practical aspect of monks' lives.

Have a good stay and a good retreat!!

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