Welcome to Franciscan Retreats and Spirituality Center Catholic Retreats
Franciscan Retreats and Spirituality Center is a spiritual oasis for anyone looking to explore their relationship with the Almighty. We hold weekend or midweek retreats attended by individuals or friends featuring a fruitful blend of scheduled time to open time allowing retreatants to recharge mentally, spiritually and physically.
Four conference talks inspired by a relevant annual theme lead retreatants on an experience of discovery, rejuvenation and spiritual growth. Generous open periods between conference talks allows for reflection, prayer, spirited hikes on 60 acres of forest and prairie, or simply resting in your private room. Retreats also include guided prayer sessions, one on one spiritual direction, plus the opportunity for unhurried confession, holy hour and anointing. All meals cooked lovingly on site.
Franciscan Retreats are Catholic based and open to all spiritual seekers at any stage of their faith journey.
August 2022 – July 2023 Retreat Theme: Belonging; Connections of the Heart
Conference titles:1. Belonging: Seen, Heard, Valued
2. God: Source of All Belonging
3. Who is Family?
4. Universal Connection
The retreat will explore belonging to God, belonging to family and friends, and belonging to all people and creation. We look forward to having you with us! Franciscan Retreat Center 2022-2023 Retreat Theme
What is it like to go on a Retreat?
Just what is it like to go on Catholic Retreats? If you haven’t had the pleasure to come out and experience it for yourself, we invite you to read the following article, describing what you can expect when you come and join us for one of our retreats. What is it like to
go on a Retreat… Would you like to know more? Click here to read about Who goes on Retreats… KMSP Channel 9 ‘Why attend a Retreat’ interview; MA Roscoe
Free Spiritual Audio to Brighten Your Day
Enjoy Friars and Staff as they discourse on a variety of spiritual topics. Click to listen to Spiritual Audio from the Franciscan Retreat Center
Father Howard’s Homilies for the Liturgical Week
On this Second Sunday of Advent let’s focus for a few moments on two things that are very important to our human lives and all too often are missing from our lives. We go through all kinds of measures to insure their being there, but in the end it seems we fail most of the time. The two things I am speaking of are peace and safety. Our country spends trillions of dollars every year seeking these two things and still they manage to elude us. That is most probably because we look for them in the wrong way and in the wrong places. There is no way we can “purchase” peace and safety for any amount of money. They are only to be found in our hearts, inside us, and they are either there or they are not there. Click to read Fr. Howard’s homilies for the 2nd Week Advent 2010.
Advent Days of Prayer provide you with an opportunity to enter into a time of holy prayer, reflection, and action. Give yourself the gift of some reflective time during this holy Advent season. Participants need only bring their lunch for the day and any reading material that they would like to have with them. There will be input by the presenter, a guided prayer experience, and ample free time for personal prayer and reflection. There will be an opportunity for Confession, as well as Stations of the Cross and the Liturgy of the Day. These day retreats are not sequential; one may attend all of these days or the day that best fits into one’s schedule. Click for our Advent Days of Prayer Page
Upcoming Retreats
Bring a first-timer (someone who has never retreated here or not
in the past seven years) and reduce your suggested offering by $35
Be among the first to experience our new theme:
Belonging: Connections of the Heart
December 7 Advent Day of Prayer – Symbols of Advent Wreath
December 9-11 Men’s Retreat
December 14 Advent Day of Prayer – The Nativity Scene
(Bring something from your creche to be blessed)
January 20-22 Women’s Weekend Retreat
February 10-12 Married Couples Retreat
A Blessed Advent! It’s that time of year again!
Somewhere nestled among these pages, the Child Jesus is hidden. When you find Him, click on the image and it will take you to a special Advent page. Each Sunday, the Child Jesus will be hidden on a new page (although the previous one will still be visible.)
Week One – The Calendar Page
Newsletters
With Thanksgiving on the very near horizon, our Winter Newsletter opens with Fr. Kent’s thoughts on thankfulness. He offers his humble gratitude for the generosity of so many who helped the Rekindle the Flame campaign to be a success. With this in mind, our new boiler and water softener are highlighted in this issue. Upcoming Catholic Retreats for the rest of this year are highlighted, with next year’s retreat dates outlined. On the back, Chef Tim has a delicious recipe that is perfect for the upcoming holiday season. Click to view our Franciscan Retreats and Spirituality Center Winter 2022/2023 Newsletter
Why attend a retreat?
Enjoy our 2 ½ minute video illustrating what people experience on multiday retreats and why they keep returning. Click to watch Franciscan Retreats and Spirituality Center video
