“My soul rests in God alone.”

— Psalm 62:1

Set on 110 acres in Minnesota’s tranquil St. Croix River Valley, Bethany Center for Prayer and Renewal seeks to bring Catholic faith to life through silent, directed retreats for priests, religious, and laity.

 

We purchased our beautiful retreat center property in October 2021. We are raising funds to transform the house into a hospitality center, turn the granary into a chapel, and create additional lodging for retreatants.

 

Beauty, Rest & Quiet

In a world filled with many distractions, demands, and noise, the voice of the Lord can get lost in the din. Bethany’s mission is to provide a space of beauty, rest, and quiet where the human heart can more readily hear and respond to God’s voice.

 
 

The Property

  • The Chapel

    Our Chapel will offer guests an invitation to spend time in adoration and contemplation. We are currently working on plans to transform the original Granary into a serene Chapel to provide a space for prayer and meditation.

  • Hospitality Center

    We are currently working to remodel the existing beautiful farmhouse into an accessible Hospitality Center, where meals will be served and snacks available. The Hospitality Center has multiple meeting rooms for private spiritual direction as well as common space with spectacular views where one can simply relax and pray.

  • Retreatant Lodging

    We are exploring options for retreatant lodging, including transforming the existing barn into dormitory-style lodging with private suites, communal lounges, and chapel space. As the ministry expands, we hope to build private hermitages, each with their own bedroom, bathroom, living area and chapel space. Guests can expect the utmost comfort during their stay at Bethany.

  • The Grounds

    The grounds of Bethany evoke a restorative experience. Enjoy a stroll along the tranquil lake or meander through the trees to allow the nature and beauty of Bethany to invite you into a deeper invitation to connect with God.

What is a retreat at Bethany like?

In today’s culture it is exceedingly difficult to carve out time and space to listen to God. Bethany hopes to provide an opportunity for people to retreat from the busyness and noise of everyday life and encounter the love of God more deeply through silent, directed retreats.

Silence is essential to attune one’s heart to hear the “still, small voice” of the Lord (1 Kings 19:12). Retreatants and those working at Bethany are asked to maintain an atmosphere of silence.

Direction is provided by a Spiritual Director who listens to the retreatant's thoughts, feelings, and desires coming forth in prayer and then assigns Scripture passages for reflection. A typical retreat will consist of one hour of direction and four hours of prayer each day. Daily Mass and the opportunity for confession will be provided as much as possible. Retreats generally are 3, 5, or 8 days in length.

 

  • We are raising funds to renovate the barn for dormitory-style retreatant accomodations with private bedrooms and bathrooms. As the ministry expands, we hope to build private hermitages on the grounds. No matter where you stay, you will have your own space to connect deeply with God.

  • The length of a retreat is determined by each retreatant and retreat director. Common retreat lengths are 3 days, 5 days, and 8 days. Arrangements can be made to make a 30 day silent retreat to complete the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius.

  • Meals will be provided in the Hospitality Center. We will do our best to provide for those who have allergies, but for those who prefer, there is an option to prepare one’s own food. In keeping with the authenticity of your retreat, meals are held in silence.

  • A spiritual director will accompany you on your silent retreat in order to facilitate a deeper relationship with our Triune God. Your spiritual director will act as a compassionate listener to allow the Holy Spirit to guide you. Most of our spiritual directors will be utilizing a method of prayer inspired by St. Ignatius of Loyola to engage your imagination in hearing God’s voice through Sacred Scripture and responding to the promptings of His Holy Spirit in your life. You can expect your spiritual director to honor confidentiality at all times.

We are currently working to renovate the chapel and transform our property into a place of prayer and renewal.