Last October, three of my friends and I headed to the East End for a weekend away. But there were no shopping sprees, fancy dinners or spa treatments. We had a different purpose: To escape from the craziness and noise of everyday life and take an inner spiritual journey.
We spent the weekend at St. Gabriel’s, a spiritual retreat center located on the shores of Coecles Bay on Shelter Island, taking a program called “Living the Spiritual Life.” It was headed up by author and personal coach Betty Crowson. From late Friday afternoon through lunch on Sunday, we joined with 50 other women of all ages, religious/spiritual orientations (non-believers too) and stages in life to listen to presentations, participate in services and share stories.
I met a lawyer who had overcome alcohol addiction and raised three children on her own; a recently divorced mother whose seven-year-old daughter has a terminal illness; and a former Wall Street exec who told me, “I used to look forward to traffic lights with ‘No Turn on Red’ signs so I could get a minute of just sitting still.” Despite our differences, we shared a longing for more meaningful lives and a deeper connection to a higher purpose.
A Different PerspectiveThough it would be impossible to sum up the weekend in a few words, suffice it to say that I left there with a sense of peace that I hadn’t felt in a long time. And, while the stresses of daily life returned when I came back home, the experiences I had that weekend led me to make changes, that have made a real difference in my life.
Pam O’Connell, a Port Washington mother of three and freelance journalist, was inspired by a similar longing for spiritual renewal when she spent a weekend last May at St. Ignatius Retreat House in Manhasset. From Friday to Sunday, O’Connell spent most of her time in silence, except for discussions with a spiritual director. The routine was very simple. “Aside from communal meals (also in silence) nothing is required,” she says. “You can wander the grounds, sit in the library or chapels, work out in the exercise room or sit in your room and do nothing. Nothing is a beautiful thing.”
Like so many women, O’Connell’s life is hectic. “There’s so much noise around me. Much of it wonderful, like my children’s laughter, music, the general din offamily life. But you need to find some inner silence tobalance that.”
Time for ReflectionThe silent aspect of the retreat was especially appealing to her. “I hadn’t had the time or opportunity to do much reflection on my life or goals. I needed that enforced silence to hear myself. Call it meditation, call it prayer, call it whatever. Being alone with yourself in an atmosphere that allows for quiet, uninterrupted reflection is ideal,” O’Connell says.
Like many of Long Island’s retreat centers, St. Ignatius offers a variety of programs, from weekly yoga and Zen meditation classes to weekend and longer retreats. Don Holden, director of St. Ignatius, describes the center as a place to get away from the frenetic pace of everyday life. “When you drive in to our 33-acre grounds, you’re leaving the world and coming into a very special environment,” he says. “It’s a place to calm your mind, rejuvenate your spirit and rest your body.”
Open to AllLong Island is home to a variety of spiritual retreat centers (see sidebar on page 20) and while many are grounded in religious teachings, most are open to people of all denominations or non-believers. For example, Little Portion Friary in Mount Sinai is run by Franciscan brothers of the Episcopal Church, but all are welcome.
According to Brother Tom Carey, guardian at the Friary, some people come seeking quiet and solitude, “to let the noise filter out and let the Holy Spirit speak,” while others seek communal experiences by walking in the labyrinth or attending classes. All programs are dedicated to helping people find a “joyous spirituality.”
“People come away with a peaceful feeling,” says Brother Tom. “They get a sense of who they are as searching human beings. We’re all just trying to find our way forward.”
Sister Mary Spratt, director of ministry at Cenacle Retreat House in Ronkonkoma, sums up the retreat experience this way: “It’s wonderful to get in touch with our deepest desires. Retreats offer a quiet and peaceful place where people can leave the ‘busy-ness’ of daily living and find their own souls.”
Where to “Retreat” on the IsleHere are a few of the many retreat centers on Long Island.
Anima Retreat-at-the-Beach: Cherry Grove; 631-597-3080; www.animaretreat.com
Cenacle Retreat House: Ronkonkoma; 631-588-8366; www.cenaclesisters.org
Cormaria Retreat House:
Sag Harbor; 631-725-4206; www.cormaria.org
DeWolfe Retreat Center: Wading River; 631-929-4325; www.campdewolfe.org
“The Joy is in the Journey,” at St. Gabriel’s Spiritual Center: Shelter Island; 631-749-0850; www.saintgabes.org
Little Portion Friary: Mount Sinai; 631-473-0553; www.s-s-f.org/frameset_houses_lpf.htm
Our Lady of Grace Retreat Conference Center: Manhasset; 516-627-9255; www.olgcenter.com
St. Ignatius Retreat House: Manhasset; 516-621-8300; www.inis
fada.net
St. Josaphat Retreat House:
Glen Cove; 516-671-8980
Tabor Retreat Center: Oceanside; 516-
536-3004; www.taborretreatcenter.org
Freelance writer Jenna Kern-Rugile and her friends plan to continue taking retreats — with a spa vacation also included in the near future.