Desert Solitude Request Form

August 2026

All desert days of solitude at Merciful Heart Hermitage: A House of Prayer for Priests are being scheduled on a case-by-case basis. We are currently awaiting a construction timetable from our contractor, and we will post further information here as it becomes available.

The House of Prayer for Priests is now serving priests only within the Diocese of Phoenix. It has been a joy to serve the wider Church through welcoming priests from around the country, and we are grateful to the many priests who have spent time in prayer here and have also generously contributed to our ministry.

We will be posting a new Desert Solitude Request Form here as soon as we have a better sense of when we will be able to fully re-open. If you have any questions or are a local priest who would like to inquire about scheduling a visit, please contact the Manager of the House of Prayer.

Full Name

PrefixFirst NameLast Name

Email

Street Address

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip Code

Cell Phone Number

Format: (000) 000-0000.

Diocese/Religious Order

Retreats are currently available only to priests serving within the Diocese of Phoenix

Number of Years Ordained

Age

Are you a priest in good standing?

Current Priestly Assignment

How did you hear about Merciful Heart Hermitage?

What draws you to make a retreat at Merciful Heart Hermitage at this time? Please check all that apply.

Have you been formed in relational/contemplative prayer such as that taught by the Institute for Priestly Formation (IPF) and some seminaries today (i.e. acknowledging and relating your interior movements and receiving from the Lord, wherein prayer becomes more about a real relationship than simply one's own activity/efforts)?

How would you characterize your relationship with the Lord at this point in your life? Please check all that apply.

To help us get a feel for your personal spirituality, could you name some of your favorite spiritual authors?

Have you made an individually directed retreat before (i.e. in the Ignatian style)? Please comment on what that experience was like for you.

It is helpful to have made an Ignatian retreat before coming here; a desert solitude retreat here at the Hermitage will help you move even more deeply into contemplative prayer once foundational graces of God's personal love have been received. A desert solitude retreat is similar to an Ignatian retreat insofar as one would spend several hours in prayer each day (usually at least 3-4 hours daily), often with the Scriptures, with a similar structure to the prayer, although here there is greater freedom to follow one's own rhythm. The greater amount of solitude offered here as well as a lesser frequency of spiritual direction sessions is intended to lead the retreatant to a greater reliance on God alone.

The retreats that we offer involve a deep degree of silence and solitude, which can be challenging for people. You would be alone in your own hermitage, without the camaraderie that is often part of other priest retreats, and there may be times when no one else is around at all. What has been your experience of extended solitude, and how did you fare with that?

As you anticipate your retreat, is there a particular grace that you are asking for? I.e., as you consider your relationship with the Lord, what do you desire so as to grow closer to Him?

Select your preferred weeks for retreat. The start dates given below are on a Monday but a Sunday evening arrival is possible. The end dates given below are on a Friday, but may be extended a few days (usually the following Monday or Tuesday). It would be helpful to choose more than one option in case your first preference is not available (please note that we only have one or two hermitages available for retreatants at any given time). Future retreat weeks will be added as we have a better sense of our schedule. The weeks that say "no spiritual direction available" offer a potential opportunity for total solitude, but it is recommended that a person be in touch with his own spiritual director. We are temporarily closed starting April 1st due to some much-needed renovations; we will keep you updated!

Based on what you have selected above, please let us know which exact dates would be your preferred arrival and departure dates (e.g. arrival on a Sunday or Monday, whether or not you would like to extend beyond Friday, etc.)

Retreats can sometimes be extended a little bit beyond 8 days, feel free to articulate what you are hoping for and we will take these desires into consideration based on our calendar, the need to preserve solitude in between retreats, etc.

Would you be interested in receiving a little bit of spiritual direction or confession during your retreat?

The subject of our spiritual direction session(s) will be what is happening in your personal prayer. You would need to be prepared to speak about your relationship with the Lord and the interior movements of your heart and to do so with a disposition of honesty and vulnerability. If this is not what you are comfortable with, the retreats we offer here are likely not a good fit for you. Although it is not required that you receive spiritual direction while you are here, those dispositions of honesty and vulnerability are essential for growing in deeper union with the Lord, and that is the whole purpose of the Hermitage.

Any comments or questions regarding spiritual direction?

Would you like to concelebrate Mass with Fr. Eugene Mary, if available, or would you prefer to celebrate Mass privately?

If you choose to concelebrate, we will decide on a Mass time as things go along (usually mid-morning, noon, mid-afternoon, or early evening). Mass times may be posted on a white board in the Mother of Mercy Chapel. The white board may also be used to reserve a time for a private Mass.

We operate on free-will offerings. However, if it is easier for you and your parish/assignment, we can email you an invoice after retreat. Would an invoice be helpful to you?

Will you be driving here or catching a ride from the airport?

For your convenience, a local Lyft driver named Goran can be hired for a reasonable flat rate. The Lyft app is not needed. Goran's phone number is 630.200.5623 (call/text). This is particularly helpful when departing from the Hermitage as it would be hard to find a driver through an app due to our remote location. We have a great relationship with Goran and many priests have utilized his services.

Please note that you will need to bring and prepare your own food (although we do supply coffee, tea, and filtered water). There are several grocery stores in Anthem where you can stop on the way (you can also order online ahead of time or even have groceries delivered to the hermitage). To supplement what you bring, would you be interested in our homemade-but-frozen dinner meals ($10 suggested donation)? If so, would you want one meal every day or just a few?

This will help us know how well-stocked our freezer needs to be before your arrival.

Additional Comments/Questions regarding retreats at Merciful Heart Hermitage

Any additional comments, information, or questions you'd like to ask or share?