Retreats

Only religious sisters and women can occasionally come on retreat “inside” the hermitage enclosure. A maximum of two women can visit at any time. Men can occasionally stay in the priest’s flat, by prior arrangement. Retreats are strictly silent and are not prolonged above seven days. Aspirants, having made previously a seven day retreat, can come for up to two months to discern if they have a vocation to the skete hermitage. Sister Petra Clare, is the resident hermit-nun, and there are currently no other nuns at the skete. You will therefore be really alone! e-mail for details & costs.

Making a Hermitage Retreat (Women)

Weekend Retreat

Arrive Friday and leave Monday.

Full week Retreat.

Arrive Monday and depart following Monday.

When you arrive the Sister will show you your monastic cell and the necessary facilities, the church, library and refectory. In your cell you will find a timetable, with a brief explanation of the way of life, a Bible, one or two books for spiritual reading and a book of local walks. You are asked not to use audio equipment and to keep your mobile phone switched off. There is no self catering: you turn up at meal times and there is a drinks tray with a kettle and various beverages is in your cell. There is a local Shop & Post Office where you can get “nibbles” and stamps. On the first full day of your visit you will have a meeting with the Sister to run over the practicalities and Divine Office and to give you some work for your daily work period. She will see you again before you leave to see how you have got on and to say good bye. These meetings are no longer than an hour each.



Making a Retreat (Men)

Men interested in the solitary monastic life can from time to time make a retreat in the priest’s flat, by prior arrangement. You are self catering and self contained, but can join the simple midday meal, Divine Office and arrange a meeting or work period. It is also possible to arrange to have some books from the library during your stay. Please arrive Friday or Monday.


Other Visitors

There is a variety of self catering accommodation in the neighbourhood, as it is a hill walking area, and you should be able to find something to suit your budget and needs. Visitors living elsewhere should arrange a time of meeting and are welcome to join Divine Office and the silent meal by prior arrangement.




Aspirants to the Hermitage Life

Aspirants should have made at least a three and a seven day retreat previously (one seven day retreat if from outside UK), and shown an aptitude for silence and engagement with the monastic environment. It is important to make such retreats at an ordinary time, when there are no special occasions and you can just live the life as it is on average, day in and day out.

Aspirancy is normally at least one month and cannot be skipped - many people find it is a lot harder than they expect to live a monastic life, especially in the hermitage where much depends on your own courage and endurance to develop the disciplined and responsible routines of monastic practise on your own. You should bring some handwork and studies/ spiritual reading.

Community life in a skete is geared to enabling the charism for ceaseless prayer by silence and solitude, and opportunities for communal activities and exchange tend to be minimal. If this is too hard for you, you should probably consider a cenobium ( monastery of the common life).

For religious discerning a hermit vocation, or hermits considering external affiliation, conditions of a first visit are decided by private arrangement.



Home Page