A desert solitude retreat here at Merciful Heart Hermitage provides the opportunity for a deep immersion in contemplative prayer in the form of a 5-to-8-day retreat that can be semi-directed if desired. You will essentially be living as a hermit and sharing in the life of the Hermitage. These retreats are intended to bring about deeper interior conversion and are not simply a time of rest and rejuvenation (except for the interior rest that is a fruit of union with Jesus). The purpose of this form is to help discern if God is calling you to the desert at this time. We encourage you to take time to pray through the below questions. Your responses will be kept confidential. These retreats are for Catholic priests only.
Please note that there is a five day minimum for these retreats, as it takes a few days to really slow down and settle into the silence and solitude. The retreat can be extended a few days longer than eight days if desired. The available dates will appear on the second page of this form.
For those who have been here before, please note that what you will find below represents a slightly different, refined vision of the mission of Merciful Heart Hermitage. To get a sense of what to expect, imagine something like going to a solitary hermitage on Mount Carmel where a "desert form" of the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises is being offered. For such an experience, you would tell your family, friends, parishioners, staff, etc., that you are going away for a while to be alone with God, to be totally with Him and for Him. Your phone will be off, there will be no Internet, you won't be visiting with anyone or speaking with anyone, and your sole occupation will be contemplation, living for a while as if in heaven, leaving the world behind you and forgetting it. You'll be spending several hours in prayer each day, receiving a little bit of spiritual direction to guide your prayer (if desired). Yet this prayer need not be strictly tied to any particular form or structure (such as Ignatian), although certain principles can be helpful and we will have some resources to guide you. Within this solitary context, there is certainly room for "play" -- i.e. contemplative leisure, creativity, enjoying nature, etc., but without the distraction of worldly pursuits or pleasures. It will be a time of greater conversion and deepening intimacy with the Lord.
The available retreat dates are listed on the following page and can be viewed after clicking the "Next" button. Your information will not be submitted to us until after you have completed the entire form, so it is possible to view the dates without submitting your request to us.