Catholicism of the
Archdiocese of Katowice The Christian retreat can be defined most simply as a definite time (from a few hours in length to a month) spent away from one's normal life for the purpose of reconnecting, usually in prayer, with God. Although the practice of leaving one's everyday life to connect on a deeper level with God, be that in the desert (as with the
Desert Fathers), or in a monastery, is nearly as old as Christianity itself, the practice of spending a specific time away with God is a more modern phenomenon, dating from the 1520s and
St. Ignatius of Loyola's composition of the Spiritual Exercises. The fasting of Jesus in the desert for forty days is used as a biblical justification for retreats. The retreat was popularised in Roman Catholicism by the
Society of Jesus (Jesuits), whose founder,
St. Ignatius of Loyola, began in the 1520s—while still a layman—to direct others in making (participating in) the exercises. The spiritual exercises were intended for people wanting to live closer to God's will for their lives. In the 17th century, retreats became much more widespread in the Catholic Church. Retreats were not originally seen as suitable for women, but in 1674,
Catherine de Francheville (
fr), supported by the Breton Jesuit
Vincent Huby (
fr), founded a retreat house for women in
Vannes. This developed into a community of laywomen, who also founded a daughter house in
Quimper, but were dispersed by the French Revolution. Some, however, came together to found schools, and additional communities were established in England, and later in Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy. These developed in the course of the 19th century, under the name of
La Retraite (
fr), into a religious Congregation of nuns. The active involvement of the sisters in retreats was curtailed later in the 19th century, but blossomed again after the Second Vatican Council, involving among other activity an extension of the community into Chile, South Africa, Cameroon and Mali. ,
Pickering, Ontario Following the growth of the
Cursillo movement in Spain in the 20th century, similar retreats have become popular, either using licensed Cursillo material or independent material loosely based on its concepts, leading to the development of the
three-day movement. The Family
Lenten Retreat is an annual
three-day movement (held at the
Araneta Coliseum) founded in 1983 by Msgr. Cesar B. Pagulayan and organized by
Our Lady of Perpetual Help (OLPH) Parish under the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Cubao.
Evangelical Lutheranism Spiritual retreats are common in the
Evangelical Lutheran branch of Christianity, with several Evangelical Lutheran
monasteries and convents offering them.
Östanbäck Monastery, an Evangelical Lutheran monastery in the Benedictine tradition, hosts retreats for worshippers, and
Mass is celebrated there daily, along with observance of the
Daily Office. In the United States,
The Congregation of the Servants of Christ at Saint Augustine's House offers opportunities for
Christian pilgrimage, receiving a thousand visitors each year.
Anglicanism Spiritual retreats were introduced to the
Church of England by priests of the
Anglo-Catholic Society of the Holy Cross in 1856, first for clergy, and then also for laity. These retreats lasted five days. The Society of the Holy Cross's first retreats were held in secrecy. The practice was spread by Anglo-Catholic priests such as
Francis Henry Murray,
Alexander Forbes, and
Thomas Thellusson Carter. The
Oxford Movement further spread the practice of retreats to many devout men and women, borrowing from Catholic practices. Their retreats were typically 3–4 days, and featured much silence and prayer. At the end of the 19th century, and in the first years of the 20th century, retreats began to spread among the working classes and beyond those of notable devotion. These retreats were less
ascetic in character, and included more conversation and leisure. They typically lasted 1–3 days.
Baptists, Methodists and Pentecostals , United States In
Evangelical Christianity, times of spiritual retreat were encouraged by the development of
camp meetings of the 19th century, in order to promote spiritual renewal, far from the city and in nature. These camps were an opportunity to pray, sing and listen to sermons for several days. Various church associations have also established
campgrounds or
conference centers in isolated locations, which provide retreat times for children and adults. ==Sufi retreats or spiritual khalwa==