Sponsored Retreat

A Blue Zones Inspired Weekly Walk Join us every Thursday morning for a 1.5 mile loop around the Siena grounds! This weekly walk is inspired by research on longevity and well-being, including studies of regions around the world where people tend to live longer, healthier lives. Researchers have observed lifestyle patterns shared across these communities, […]

Begin your Thursday by praying with others. Centering Prayer is a form of silent, contemplative prayer. Together we will experience 20 minutes of silent prayer, followed by 40 minutes of discussion on a reading that is sent in advance on spirituality or prayer. “We find that belonging to a supportive community with  other ‘Centering Pray-ers’ […]

Come away for a sacred time apart from your daily routine to renew your spirit and rest from everyday demands. Retreatants will gather together for opening and closing reflections led by Vicky Curtiss. In between, each person will spend personal time as they wish in silence and solitude. Options include walks along the lakeshore or […]

This one-day retreat teaches ways to face life’s challenges with more ease, calm, awareness and balance. In a peaceful environment with a supportive community, you will learn from the teachings of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, and John Kabat-Zinn, the founder of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction. The program combines guided meditation sessions, gentle movement practices, […]

This contemplative retreat offers participants the opportunity to meet daily one-on-one with a spiritual guide and share Eucharistic Liturgy and Evening Prayer with the retreat group. Solitude, nature, and silence enhance these sacred days. Participants are invited to journal, read, walk the beautiful Siena grounds and labyrinth, create with art supplies, and be refreshed and […]

This silent retreat for women will call together wisdom from many of the world’s spiritual resources to renew, enrich, and inspire us to be an awakened people in a world that needs our love and action. You are invited to a week of inner discovery and replenishment through morning reflection, evening rituals, one-on-one spiritual guidance, […]

Embrace and nurture life’s blessings, all of them, in a silent retreat for women tailored to your individual encounter with the Holy.  Opening special spiritual themes, each day includes a brief morning reflection and shared evening  prayer.  Everyone is offered a daily meeting one-on-one with a spiritual guide and silent time for solitude. Each day is a blessing. During registration you will […]

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” – Howard Thurman This five-session program is designed for anyone who wants to be intentional about the decisions they make within their lives and the process by which […]

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German Lutheran pastor, theologian, and key founding member of the Confessing Church, a movement within Protestant churches that countered fascism during the Nazi regime in Germany. Bonhoeffer was imprisoned in a concentration camp and later hanged, accused of being involved in a plot to assassinate Hitler. This three-part Zoom series will […]

In light of Pope Leo’s encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, Rev. Enzo Del Brocco, CP, will be presenting on faith, and its place and relationship with artificial intelligence. Fr. Enzo will explore how we navigate the ever-changing world of technological advancement while maintaining and supporting the human dignity of all people. The environmental impact of AI, not just […]

We cannot solve our problems without first understanding the stories that got us here - and reimagining them. This requires something beyond mere ideas; it requires us to reimagine ourselves. It requires not merely new technologies but new stories. In this workshop, we will tell and re-tell the stories of our becoming through a deep […]

The Peace Education Program is a ten-week, one hour per week on Zoom, with videos, reflection and participant discussion on a different topic weekly. This gives you the opportunity to focus and reflect on your humanity and your inner resources such as choice, hope, and dignity. Rather than describing or defining personal peace, the program […]

Fundado en 2016, De Mujer a Mujer es un encuentro en español creado para mujeres que desean reconectar consigo mismas y con otras mujeres en un espacio seguro y significativo. Se trata de un evento de carácter espiritual, no religioso, que invita a la reflexión, la sanación y el crecimiento personal. Nuestro deseo es que […]

Come away for a sacred time apart from your daily routine to renew your spirit and rest from everyday demands. Retreatants will gather together for opening and closing reflections led by Vicky Curtiss. In between, each person will spend personal time as they wish in silence and solitude. Options include walks along the lakeshore or […]

Join a circle of women’s wisdom and mutual support. Catch your breath, and connect with other women and with the Divine. At each gathering we will spend time in prayer, meditation, and reflection through various stories, readings, creativity, music, and time spent outdoors. We will reflect on The Book of Soul: 52 Paths to Living What […]

We come together in these challenging times to share our graces and strengthen our light in the world. Jesus drew people together to unite them in love, and sent them forth with fresh flames in their hearts. What do you find keeps you in-spirited? Strengthened by the witness of mystics and prophets before and around […]

Imagine a world where people are kinder to others and to themselves. A world of respect, integrity, generosity of spirit. Let’s read about it, talk about it, write about it, share it, live into it. In these divisive days, we will explore the art of self-compassion and compassion with others through poetic practice—such fertile ground […]

Long before the term "spiritual" became common, Francis of Assisi embodied its deepest meaning, while also being religious in the best sense of the word. We are drawn to him because he restored religion to its proper place: the human heart, where it can transform everyday life. The 36 ways of experiencing God that author […]

This one-day retreat teaches ways to face life’s challenges with more ease, calm, awareness and balance. In a peaceful environment with a supportive community, you will learn from the teachings of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, and John Kabat-Zinn, the founder of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction. The program combines guided meditation sessions, gentle movement practices, […]

Enjoy the therapeutic impact of a guided walk through the woods and lakefront of the Siena grounds based on the practice of Forest Therapy. Each two-hour experience will include brief explanations of the history and science of Forest Therapy, personal reflection time, and community building. These guided events provide structure and opportunity for creativity and […]

We all need to take time for reflection and savoring. Poetry leads us into “the heights and depths” of human life: its ecstasy, poignancy, faith, wonder, humor, grief, love. These evenings as we read special poems together, our souls will touch the Holy Mystery that holds us all. Both evenings we will reflect on poems […]

In the midst of the deepest sorrow, we can suddenly be pierced by wild beauty and even joy. And in the best times of life, we are often aware of undercurrents of pain and sadness. We become braver, more creative, more authentic humans when we recognize that sorrow and joy co-exist like two feathers, one […]

Join a circle of women’s wisdom and mutual support. Catch your breath, and connect with other women and with the Divine. At each gathering we will spend time in prayer, meditation, and reflection through various stories, readings, creativity, music, and time spent outdoors. We will reflect on The Book of Soul: 52 Paths to Living What […]

Come away for a sacred time apart from your daily routine to renew your spirit and rest from everyday demands. Retreatants will gather together for opening and closing reflections led by Vicky Curtiss. In between, each person will spend personal time as they wish in silence and solitude. Options include walks along the lakeshore or […]

What happens in the world matters to people of faith. When a society is polarized, it is easy to believe that somebody else is wrong about an important issue and that we are right. In this Zoom presentation, Professor Steve Millies will explore the idea of incorporating faith into our civic lives by considering how […]

Jesus prayed that we may have eyes to see. With goosebumps, tears, or excited hearts, there have been times we have felt the touch of Divine Mystery - in a blossoming tree, a family celebration, the generosity of another, a challenging call, a wail of grief, a movement to “protect our neighbors.” This is the […]

Enjoy the therapeutic impact of a guided walk through the woods and lakefront of the Siena grounds based on the practice of Forest Therapy. Each two-hour experience will include brief explanations of the history and science of Forest Therapy, personal reflection time, and community building. These guided events provide structure and opportunity for creativity and […]

Theme: Remembering On the weekend of All-Saints Day, we will create SoulCollage® cards and journal with them in honor of significant people who have blessed our lives.  They may be public figures or family members, ancestors or living.  Remembering helps us feel connected to people who have shaped us, deepening our gratitude and awareness of […]

Discover the sacred art of Byzantine iconography as you create your own icon of St. Joseph the Worker. Guided step-by-step through the process by experienced iconographer Drazen Dupor, participants will paint a traditional icon on a prepared 11" x 15" wooden panel and learn the techniques used in this centuries-old artistic and spiritual practice. Each […]

 You don’t have to walk the Camino in Spain to live as a pilgrim. In this reflective retreat, you will explore the terrain of your own life transitions as sacred pathways of growth and trust. Drawing from The Second Act Compass of Transition™, we’ll identify where each person is on their inner journey - pausing, […]

Join a circle of women’s wisdom and mutual support. Catch your breath, and connect with other women and with the Divine. At each gathering we will spend time in prayer, meditation, and reflection through various stories, readings, creativity, music, and time spent outdoors. We will reflect on The Book of Soul: 52 Paths to Living What […]

Naming conventions say a lot about how a culture is related to place. The Anishinaabe (Ojibwe, Potawatomi and Odawa) peoples have a unique relationship to the places around the body of water we call Lake Michigan. A deeper look into our naming conventions offers a window of learning how we engage in relationship to place. […]

In this retreat, through sharing, silence, and presentations, we will explore the idea that growing older is not only a physical or emotional process, but also a deeply spiritual journey. It is a journey in which we encounter change and loss—of roles, abilities, and loved ones.  You will be invited to learn practices that encourage […]

Join the Siena community for the Latin American tradition of Las Posadas which recalls the journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem and their search for shelter. The evening will include an indoor procession, singing in Spanish and English, brief reflections on various dimensions of refugee justice, and a festive gathering with light refreshments. Co-sponsored […]

Four weeks before Christmas, we wait, watch, and wonder: for an angel’s song, for stars to shine, for birth of the Word made Flesh. Through music, poetry, Scripture readings and silence, we will prepare our hearts to receive the gift of incarnation, the embodiment of the Divine in our midst.

Taizé prayer is a form of worship originating in an ecumenical community of Christian monks in Taizé, France. For many years, tens of thousands of pilgrims, especially young people, have joined the monks for their prayer services. Join us in the Sisters’ Chapel for a service of prayer, silent reflection, scripture, meditative music, and simple […]

Join us for a cozy winter reading retreat designed for book lovers of all kinds on the lakeside grounds of Siena Retreat Center! The start of a new year is a natural time to reset—whether that means jump starting a new reading habit, carving out more intentional time for reading, or finding a new community […]

There is a saying, “Write it down, make it happen.” The start of a new year is a blank page offering us so many possibilities. It is a time to reflect on where we have been but also on where we want to go to turn our dreams for ourselves into the possible. This means […]

Enjoy the therapeutic impact of a guided walk through the woods and lakefront of the Siena grounds based on the practice of Forest Therapy. Each two-hour experience will include brief explanations of the history and science of Forest Therapy, personal reflection time, and community building. These guided events provide structure and opportunity for creativity and […]

Join a circle of women’s wisdom and mutual support. Catch your breath, and connect with other women and with the Divine. At each gathering we will spend time in prayer, meditation, and reflection through various stories, readings, creativity, music, and time spent outdoors. We will reflect on The Book of Soul: 52 Paths to Living What […]

This one-day retreat teaches ways to face life’s challenges with more ease, calm, awareness and balance. In a peaceful environment with a supportive community, you will learn from the teachings of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, and John Kabat-Zinn, the founder of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction. The program combines guided meditation sessions, gentle movement practices, […]

Those who wield private control over digital technology and war-making capabilities are drifting further from the public restraints formerly imposed by nation-states. In his analysis of this development, Pope Leo XIV warns about “the technocratic paradigm,” a rapidly expanding world system and consciousness empowered by humanity’s adoption of a logic of efficiency, control, and profit. […]

Theme: When Irritation Becomes a Pearl Have you ever experienced something that was super irritating, and later realized the gift or gem that was hidden inside the situation? Let's look closer at our "stuff" together. Not as a bypass but simply giving yourself so much grace and choosing another way to see. So many opportunities […]

Join Dr. Charmaine Jake-Matthews to explore baking as an avenue to mindfulness. As the Baker & CEO of Buy the Pound Bakery Inc., she will guide participants through the completion of a tasty recipe while showing them how this activity can contribute to mental wellness. This is a journey toward a place of acknowledgment and […]

In the midst of our chaotic, fast-paced world, a mysterious voice beckons: be still in the winter darkness. Live in the flow of great unknowing. Open yourself to the Nourishing One. During our time together, we will acknowledge the uncertainty of our lives, listen to the invitation to let go of the illusion of control, […]

Awareness and Movement for Embodied Wholeness and Presence What does it mean to live an embodied spiritual life? This retreat is an invitation to come home to our bodies as a way of exploring the dance of being human and divine through awareness, movement*, and relational practice. Together we will explore: • Cultivating embodied awareness […]

This thoughtfully curated series is for people who feel successful on the outside but disconnected from what truly lights them up. Through guided reflection, meaningful conversation, and intentional time away from daily demands, you will be invited to reconnect with your Spark, clarify what you want next, and begin to shape a vision that feels […]

Dedicate time away for rest and restoration. This retreat offers a safe space for deep relaxation, healing, renewal, and community connection. Replenish your spirit and nurture self-compassion through guided meditations and reflections, reclaiming rest workshops, and meaningful conversations. Bring your comfortable clothing, favorite pillow, and soft loungewear as you prepare for collective rest.

Join us for an evening to explore the wisdom of poets in their "ripening" years. We'll explore poems that invite us into more heartful living, poems that have the power to awaken our sense of wonder to the ordinary miracles that always surround us. Why not "risk enchantment," as one of them suggests? Why not […]

Join a circle of women’s wisdom and mutual support. Catch your breath, and connect with other women and with the Divine. At each gathering we will spend time in prayer, meditation, and reflection through various stories, readings, creativity, music, and time spent outdoors. We will reflect on The Book of Soul: 52 Paths to Living What […]

In this workshop we will utilize Somatic Experiencing techniques such as mindfulness, perception of physical sensations, visualizations, and movement to tend to the body as a container for the emotional self. The intention of this workshop is to allow people to get to know their emotions, release old pain and patterns, strengthen their intuition, and […]

Taizé prayer is a form of worship originating in an ecumenical community of Christian monks in Taizé, France. For many years, tens of thousands of pilgrims, especially young people, have joined the monks for their Taizé prayer services. Join us in the Sisters’ Chapel for a service of prayer, silent reflection, scripture, meditative music, and […]

Like the people who gathered on the mountainside to listen to Jesus, we gather by Siena’s lakeside for Lenten renewal of our love and commitment. Jesus saw in the people both fatigue and hope and he honored this in his Beatitudes. We too may come feeling “poor in spirit, hungering and thirsting for justice, needing […]

Whether you are an avid journaler or simply looking for a creative outlet, this day of reflection offers inspiration and support for you creative “voice” using writing or other forms of art and sharing in a safe and supportive setting. You will learn a variety of journaling styles and artful expressions and create a “biomap” […]

Some choices ask more of us than weighing pros and cons. Discernment is a way of paying attention to the movements of our inner lives - our desires, experiences, relationships, and sense of God’s presence - to better understand who we are, what brings us life, and how we are being invited to serve in […]

This retreat introduces poems written later in life by a gathering of contemporary poets. They are sages who invite us into more spacious ways of living than we might otherwise imagine. Their vision invites us into “an energetic space that begets energetic space” (J. Winterson). Their gifts of wisdom, borne of long experience and heartful […]

"Liminal Space, is a unique, sacred ‘in-between’ place of waiting and transformation. It is the uncomfortable threshold where we have left the old, familiar ways but have not yet stepped into the new. It is a waiting room where old realities fall apart to make way for new perspectives” Richard Rohr Transitions are not only […]

Come away for a sacred time apart from your daily routine to renew your spirit and rest from everyday demands. Retreatants will gather together for opening and closing reflections led by Vicky Curtiss. In between, each person will spend personal time as they wish in silence and solitude. Options include walks along the lakeshore or […]

Join a circle of women’s wisdom and mutual support. Catch your breath, and connect with other women and with the Divine. At each gathering we will spend time in prayer, meditation, and reflection through various stories, readings, creativity, music, and time spent outdoors. We will reflect on The Book of Soul: 52 Paths to Living What […]

  About SoulCollage® SoulCollage® is an experience of self-reflection using images that speak to you. It develops your creativity and intuition, encourages self-discovery, and provides personal guidance. It meets you wherever you are on this journey called life. You don’t have to be an artist to participate, anyone can create and enjoy this powerful practice. […]

During this weekend workshop, we will explore how our bodies teach us wisdom about how we really are. The Focusing process helps our mind listen to the wisdom of our body. In any situation, our body is sending information. Many of us don't know how to open our minds to this information because it doesn't […]

Poet Mary Bilderback, RSM, writes, “When you think about it, there is only one question we ever need: Is what we are doing beautiful?” Are we bearers of light to others? Do we let the light that has entered our own hearts change us? All of us, living together, have these choices to make. This […]

Join a circle of women’s wisdom and mutual support. Catch your breath, and connect with other women and with the Divine. At each gathering we will spend time in prayer, meditation, and reflection through various stories, readings, creativity, music, and time spent outdoors. We will reflect on The Book of Soul: 52 Paths to Living What […]

This immersive weekend retreat weaves together the reflective practice of sandtray exploration with the embodied meditation of the labyrinth. Sandtray is a contemplative spiritual practice that invites the soul to speak through symbols. Rooted in depth psychology, the images chosen often reveal the unseen landscapes of your inner life. What cannot yet be spoken may […]

Yes, each of us is “getting older.” We have moved through our teen years and vocation discernment and have managed work, family, and national ups and downs. Every life stage has been “full of grace” and challenge. For some of us, elderhood offers new graces and calls. We move forward with life-earned perspectives and spiritual […]

Poet Ross Gay asks, “What if joy, instead of refuge or relief from heartbreak, is what effloresces from us as we help each other carry our heartbreaks?” Tenderness and belonging are available to all of us when we open our hearts and allow ourselves to be touched by the whole spectrum of human emotion - […]

Enjoy the therapeutic impact of a guided walk through the woods and lakefront of the Siena grounds based on the practice of Forest Therapy. Each two-hour experience will include brief explanations of the history and science of Forest Therapy, personal reflection time, and community building. These guided events provide structure and opportunity for creativity and […]

Join Quaker Songwriter, Poet, and Author Carrie Newcomer as she invites us into the inner work that supports and deepens our outer journey in the world. During this day retreat, Carrie will guide participants through experiences designed to explore our who we are, who we are becoming, and the power of daily human-sized actions to […]

Be uplifted by the Siena Retreat Center’s Annual Spring Concert with songwriter, recording artist, performer and educator Carrie Newcomer and pianist Gary Walters. Carrie is internationally known as a facilitator of songwriting and creative writing retreats. She also leads retreats on spirituality, personal growth, art and activism in a wide array of venues. She co-hosts […]

The German Benedictine mystic Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179), was canonized and proclaimed a Doctor of the Universal Church in 2012. She is the fourth woman to be honored with this title in Catholic history and is venerated as a patron saint of musicians, writers, and natural scientists. In this evening presentation, we will explore the […]

Join us for a sound bath designed to foster deep relaxation and effective stress relief. The sound experience is a sanctuary crafted to be welcoming and accessible. This program was born out of a shared passion for supporting others to find grounding and peace. Our goal is to create a nurturing environment where everyone feels […]

Join a circle of women’s wisdom and mutual support. Catch your breath, and connect with other women and with the Divine. At each gathering we will spend time in prayer, meditation, and reflection through various stories, readings, creativity, music, and time spent outdoors. We will reflect on The Book of Soul: 52 Paths to Living What […]

What do the words, “spring training” bring to mind? Baseball? Sunscreen? Stadium snacks? Getting your own body in shape after the long winter? How about focusing on your spiritual life (which includes ALL of life)? In this day of reflection, we will focus on spiritual practices for the spring season. During our time together, we […]

We invite you to step away from the hurried pace of daily life and into a weekend in which poetry will provide an opportunity for reflection on your authentic self - the unique “you” who was blessed with this human life. This retreat offers a sacred space to honor the ongoing journey towards your true […]

The word “inspire” is derived from the word inspirare, meaning “to breathe or blow into.” This retreat will help us discover how being inspired is to be the recipient of Divine breath. This Divine breath gives us our life and is part of our creative inspirations as we “breathe” life into our own works. Spend […]

Enjoy the therapeutic impact of a guided walk through the woods and lakefront of the Siena grounds based on the practice of Forest Therapy. Each two-hour experience will include brief explanations of the history and science of Forest Therapy, personal reflection time, and community building. These guided events provide structure and opportunity for creativity and […]

Painting can be therapeutic and can help reduce stress. In this afternoon of creativity, you will learn the basics of watercolor painting. All levels of experience are welcome! Supplies will be provided. You will create a small greeting card which you can take home with you.

“Many a wishes that I blew, finding myself was the one that came true.” Anamika Sharma, poet Theme: Lessons From a Dandelion Missy heard a child call dandelions "wishies". Let's spend the day steeped in childlike wonder! What are some dandelion lessons? Have strong roots Hold wishes Be persistent Look at things with childlike wonder […]

This contemplative retreat offers participants the opportunity to meet daily one-on-one with a spiritual guide and share Eucharistic Liturgy and Evening Prayer with the retreat group. Solitude, nature, and silence enhance these sacred days. Participants are invited to journal, read, walk the beautiful Siena grounds and labyrinth, create with art supplies, and be refreshed and […]

This silent retreat for women will call together wisdom from many of the world’s spiritual resources to renew, enrich, and inspire us to be an awakened people in a world that needs our love and action. You are invited to a week of inner discovery and replenishment through morning reflection, evening rituals, one-on-one spiritual guidance, […]

Embrace and nurture life’s blessings, all of them, in a silent retreat for women tailored to your individual encounter with the Holy.  Opening special spiritual themes, each day includes a brief morning reflection and shared evening  prayer.  Everyone is offered a daily meeting one-on-one with a spiritual guide and silent time for solitude. Each day is a blessing. During registration you will […]

Many of us long for relationships that are deep, authentic, and meaningful. We seek connections that offer a sense of belonging, purpose, and shared humanity. This retreat will offer practical tools to help you strengthen trust and draw forth the inner wisdom in others, while also deepening your own. Whether you are a family member, […]

  We are excited to welcome Mark Nepo back to Siena Retreat Center in the fall of 2027! While we are working on finalizing details and getting the registration links up and running, we've provided a Save the Date interest list form here for your convenance! Once registration is live, our system will send you […]