Purpose

• A retreat gives its visitors a safe haven to strengthen their spiritual bonds before they return to the temptations and distractions of their everyday lives. People may undertake retreats before making a pivotal decision or taking on a commitment such as marriage, or to come to grips with personal crises and tragedies.
  
  

History

• Christ's withdrawal to the desert for 40 days and nights following his baptism by Saint John offered inspiration for the religious retreats that followed and religious orders housed in monasteries and convents act as a permanent retreat for the faithful who decide to devote their lives to spiritual contemplation. Saint Charles Borromeo organized formal journey retreats for Catholic lay clergy in the 16th century and the Jesuit order continued to establish retreats throughout Europe during the 17th century. The Jesuit Pere Henry energized the institution during the Victorian Age, popularizing retreats for working class Catholic men and women.
  
  

Types of Retreats

• Preached retreats feature a speaker who also acts as spiritual director, guiding prayer and discussion while making himself available for individual consultation. Spiritual advisers on directed retreats suggest Scripture readings and spiritual topics for participants to reflect and pray upon, but let the participants structure their routine for themselves. Private retreats are purely individual affairs in which a person visits the retreat for self-guided prayer and meditation on spiritual concerns of her own choosing.
  
  

Activities

• A preached retreat is organized around a presentation or conference that gives the retreat a specific spiritual focus through a framework such as Saint Ignatius' Exercises, which direct visitors to reflect upon creation, repentance and ultimate redemption. A clergy member, monk or nun may guide the participants, who may choose to conduct their spiritual contemplation on nature walks within the retreat site or by reading and meditating upon Scripture. Prayer in private and group settings is a prominent activity in every retreat.
  
  

Duration

• Retreats for lay Catholics may be day long events or last as long as one week. The most common retreats last three days, beginning on a Friday evening and ending Sunday afternoon. Members of religious orders embark on 30-day retreats each year and any prospective member of a Catholic order must undertake a month-long retreat to contemplate her decision.