About St. Placid Priory

Upcoming Retreats at St. Placid Priory

Venue & Amenities

Venue & Amenities
Venue & Amenities
A/C in Rooms icon A/C in Rooms
Free Wifi icon Free Wifi
Spa icon Spa
Sauna icon Sauna
Pool icon Pool
Towels icon Towels
Free Parking icon Free Parking
Kitchen icon Kitchen
Tour Assistance icon Tour Assistance
Hot Tub icon Hot Tub
Coffee/Tea icon Coffee/Tea
Cafe icon Cafe
Restaurant icon Restaurant
Fitness Center icon Fitness Center
Yoga Studio icon Yoga Studio
Housekeeping icon Housekeeping
Bicycles For Rent icon Bicycles For Rent
The Priory Spirituality Center is an ecumenical Christian ministry that encourages those of all faiths to discern the voice of God in their lives and in the world. A ministry of St. Placid Priory we reflect Benedictine values: peace, hospitality, community, learning and prayerful discernment.

We offer a peaceful and contemplative setting for personal reflection. We encourage and challenge people to know the presence of God in their lives through classes, workshops, retreats and individual spir

Meals

Menu Types

On-your-own breakfast: Center Kitchen. Eggs, milk, bread, cereal, fruit provided. Your own food welcome, may be cooked in Kitchen. Lunch/Dinner served, main dish+salad bar. Sun coffee hour after Mass

Getting Here

Location icon St. Placid Priory, 500 College Street NE Lacey, Washington 98516

Directions

Traveling north from Portland, on I-5: Take Exit 109 Turn left onto Martin Way at end of exit Stay in the far right lane Turn right at second light onto College Street NE Turn right at St. Placid sign (second possible right turn) Traveling south from Seattle, on I-5: Take Exit 109 Turn right onto Martin Way at end of exit Stay in the far right lane Turn right at the light onto College Street NE Turn right at St. Placid sign (second possible right turn)

Customer Reviews

4.86 out of 5.0 average rating

5.0
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Perfect Place to Contemplate God
Dear St. Placid Priory, I just wanted to thank you again for allowing me to stay at the St. Placid Visitor Center while I attended a Catechesis of the Good Shepherd formation training in Olympia. Janice and Val were so welcoming and made me feel right at home. The minute I stepped onto the Priory property, I could feel the quiet, contemplative spirit of the Sisters. The Priory is beautiful and the Visitor Center was just as beautiful. My room was lovely, with handmade quilts on each bed and a cozy rocking chair. My bed was very comfortable and I loved that I had my own sink and mirror right in my room. My room also had a desk which I used every night to do my homework. As the week went on, I met other retreatants who were also so kind and generous. I was allowed to use the community kitchen which had a full oven, microwave and refrigerator so I was able to make my own lunches and dinner each day. Though, I didn't have an opportunity to eat with the Sisters because my classes ended too late, I did hear from other retreatants how delicious the food is at St. Placid. I would definitely recommend staying at St. Placid if you are looking for a calm, quiet, contemplative atmosphere. It was exactly what I had hoped for. Thank you, Sisters for your loving embrace of me and my CGS course. I will always remember you in my prayers. Mary Pat Heelan, Worcester, MA

5.0
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First Visit
This was my first visit to St Placid Priory and I found the experience a wonderful retreat. It gave me a chance to get some much needed respite. The sisters were very kind, the rooms very nice, and the food was delicious and the grounds are also very nice . I would recommend it to anyone wanted some quiet time.

5.0
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Zentangle class
I thoroughly enjoyed the zentangle class with Sister Monica. She is very clear and supportive in her teaching. I really look forward to her class!

5.0
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superb
a welcoming place for solace, silence and restoration. thank you to the nuns and volunteers making this possible.

5.0
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Just what I needed.
I am an introvert who really needs her alone time. I need to know that I can spend a day or 2 alone with God, to better know Him and myself. Staying at St. Placid Priory Spirituality Center gave me that opportunity. They thought of everything to make sure retreatants have all they need to have a comfortable stay. The room was perfect for me. The grounds are beautiful and the quiet was a gift. The people who gave me a tour were very friendly and made me feel very welcomed. I would definitely stay there again and highly recommend.

Mission & Vision

St. Placid Priory is a women’s Benedictine monastic community. We come from diverse backgrounds and have pursued many different careers. We are down-to-earth. We follow the Rule of St. Benedict, pray together and extend our Benedictine presence to the local community in the Olympia, Washington area.

We are healthy risk-takers, willing to follow the call of the Holy Spirit–even when the invitation seems unsure. We are a community with some structure and much freedom. We strive to allow the Rule of Benedict and the prophetic call to influence our lives. We are optimistic about our future and are taking concrete steps to prepare for our monastic future in the next century. We seek to cultivate a gentle spirit, bringing a non-violent stance to our conversation, interactions and ministry.

Most people have never heard of St. Placid. He is one of the Church’s early, although little known saints. We read in the Dialogues of Gregory the Great:

Once while blessed Benedict was in his room, one of his monks, the boy Placid, went down to get some water. In letting the bucket fill too rapidly, he lost his balance and was pulled into the lake, where the current quickly seized him and carried him about a stone’s throw from the shore.

Though inside the monastery at the time, the man of God was instantly aware of what had happened and called out to Maurus: “Hurry, Brother Maurus! The boy who just went down for water has fallen into the lake, and the current is carrying him away.”

Maurus asked for the blessing and on receiving it hurried out to fulfill his abbot’s command. He kept on running even over the water till he reached the place where Placid was drifting along helplessly. Pulling him up by the hair, Maurus rushed back to shore, still under the impression that he was on dry land. It was only when he set foot on the ground that he came to himself and looking back, realized that he had been running on the surface of the water. Overcome with fear and amazement at a deed he would never have thought possible, he returned to his abbot and told him what had taken place.

The holy man would not take any personal credit for the deed but attributed it to the obedience of his disciple. Maurus, on the contrary, claimed that it was due entirely to his abbot’s command. He could not have been responsible for the miracle himself, he said, since he had not even known he was performing it. While they were carrying on this friendly contest of humility, the question was settled by the boy who had been rescued. “When I was being drawn out of the water,” he told them, “I saw the abbot’s cloak over my head; he is the one I thought was bringing me to shore.”

Our community identifies well with our patron saint. Our lives have been with the anawim, those who know they are entirely dependent upon God. We know ourselves to be the anawim. There have been many times that we have felt overwhelmed with difficulties yet God pulled us through, providing for us in wonderfully miraculous ways. Yet through times of challenge and of the miraculous, we began anew to live the ordinary faithfully. We remain unswerving in our monastic observance and to God’s call in our lives.

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