5.0
Verified
Great gathering
It was wonderful being together
Invited to Something New: An Outdoor Morning Retreat
Invited to Something New: An Outdoor Morning Retreat
5.007 reviews
13475 Proctor Rd, Philadelphia, PA 19116, USA
Up to 25 in group
November 8, 2026
Retreat Highlights
- Have you ever wanted time for stillness and renewal but never had the opportunity to visit a spiritual center like Cranaleith? Here is a mini-retreat just for beginners. Explore Cranaleith’s beautiful grounds and try out some simple spiritual practices. Bring yourself, just as you are, and let Sacred Mercy be a balm for whatever wearies you.
About this Retreat
Your Guides
Filmmaker Catie Foertsch is an award-winning producer, director and editor who lives in greater Boston. In 2018 she was contacted by two post-9/11 veterans who, discouraged by how little the American public knew or seemed to care about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan or their cost to the men and women who were fighting them, asked her to help make a documentary film. What I Want You To Know premiered at the 2023 Maine International Film Festival, where it won the Audience Favorite Award. Since then it’s been shown at more than 40 theatrical and community screenings. It’s been licensed by several colleges and universities for classroom use. It’s available for home viewing on Kanopy and the PBS app, and for broadcast by local public television stations nationwide.
Details of this retreat
What happens when the experience of war leaves questions that don’t have easy answers?
Join us for a special screening of What I Want You to Know, a gripping and intimate film that gives voice to the lived experiences of veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as they share personal stories from their deployments. Interspersed with actual images and video from both wars, their stories paint an intense and compelling picture of the post-911 wars and their cost. Filmmaker Catie Foertsch invites us into these stories, memories, struggles, and questions that can remain long after a veteran returns home.
Following the film, we will gather for a facilitated time of reflection and conversation. Together, we will explore what the film invites us to see and understand about moral injury—the deep wounds that can arise when our actions, experiences, or the actions of others conflict with our deepest values and sense of what is right.
This conversation is for veterans, civilians, caregivers, family members, and anyone seeking to better understand the moral and human costs of war. We will consider:
What does it mean to carry experiences that are difficult to name?
How do we listen to veterans without trying to fix or explain their stories?
What responsibility do civilians and our society have to those who serve?
And what might healing, accountability, and moral repair look like?
Come prepared to watch, listen, reflect, and enter into a conversation that honors the complexity of military service and the humanity of those who bear its burdens.
No particular experience or expertise is required.
Join us for a special screening of What I Want You to Know, a gripping and intimate film that gives voice to the lived experiences of veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as they share personal stories from their deployments. Interspersed with actual images and video from both wars, their stories paint an intense and compelling picture of the post-911 wars and their cost. Filmmaker Catie Foertsch invites us into these stories, memories, struggles, and questions that can remain long after a veteran returns home.
Following the film, we will gather for a facilitated time of reflection and conversation. Together, we will explore what the film invites us to see and understand about moral injury—the deep wounds that can arise when our actions, experiences, or the actions of others conflict with our deepest values and sense of what is right.
This conversation is for veterans, civilians, caregivers, family members, and anyone seeking to better understand the moral and human costs of war. We will consider:
What does it mean to carry experiences that are difficult to name?
How do we listen to veterans without trying to fix or explain their stories?
What responsibility do civilians and our society have to those who serve?
And what might healing, accountability, and moral repair look like?
Come prepared to watch, listen, reflect, and enter into a conversation that honors the complexity of military service and the humanity of those who bear its burdens.
No particular experience or expertise is required.
Getting Here
Cranaleith, 13475 Proctor Rd, Philadelphia, PA 19116, USA
Directions
By Car:
From I-95: Take Woodhaven Road exit (Route 63 WEST) almost to the end, to where it narrows to one lane. Turn left onto Evans Street. At slight, turn right onto Byberry Road for approximately ONE mile to Proctor Road. Turn RIGHT and continue for 1/8 mile and Cranaleith will be on the RIGHT. From Roosevelt Boulevard: If coming North, turn LEFT onto Southampton Road (If coming South on Route 1, make a RIGHT on Southampton). Continue on Southampton Road for ONE mile to Worthington Road (stop sign). Turn LEFT on to Worthington Road, continue for ONE block to Napier Street. Turn RIGHT and proceed for THREE blocks to Proctor Road. Turn RIGHT onto Proctor Road and then make an immediate RIGHT into Cranaleith’s driveway. From PA Turnpike: Exit at #351 (Bensalem Exit). Go SOUTH on Route 1. Immediately after the Street Road Exit and Andy’s Diner, the lanes divide. Be sure to stay in the far RIGHT lane. When you come to the intersection of Southampton Road, turn RIGHT. Continue on Southampton Road for ONE mile to Worthington Road (stop sign). Turn LEFT onto Worthington Road, continue for ONE block to Napier Street. Turn RIGHT and proceed for THREE blocks to Proctor Road. Turn RIGHT onto Proctor Road and then make an immediate RIGHT into Cranaleith’s driveway.
PROBLEM WITH GOOGLE DIRECTIONS: If you are coming from the PA Turnpike, online directions automatically send you onto Street Road/132W after exiting the Turnpike and heading down Route 1 South. Many people mistakenly go East on Street Road. And others miss the subsequent Trevose Road turn because it isn’t properly marked. It’s much easier to avoid Street Road by staying on 1 South (in the right-hand lane) until Southampton Road, where you make a right. Then make a left on Worthington, a right on Napier and a right on Proctor.
By Train:
From the city (University City, 30th St. Station, Suburban Station, Market East, etc.), take the West Trenton commuter train to SOMERTON. From the station walk LEFT on Edison Avenue for two blocks. Crossover Trevose Road and then RIGHT onto Proctor Road. Cranaleith will be on the LEFT. Transportation from the station may be arranged.
By Bus:
From the Frankford Terminal, take No. 58 bus up Bustleton Ave. to Byberry Road. Walk EAST on Byberry Road for two blocks to Proctor Road. Turn LEFT onto Proctor Road and proceed for 1/8 mile. Cranaleith will be on the RIGHT.
By Plane:
From Philadelphia International Airport, take the airport train to 30th Street Station, and transfer to the R3 — West Trenton Commuter Train to SOMERTON. From the station walk LEFT on Edison Avenue for two blocks. Crossover Trevose Road and then RIGHT onto Proctor Road. Cranaleith will be on the LEFT. Transportation from the station may be arranged.
From I-95: Take Woodhaven Road exit (Route 63 WEST) almost to the end, to where it narrows to one lane. Turn left onto Evans Street. At slight, turn right onto Byberry Road for approximately ONE mile to Proctor Road. Turn RIGHT and continue for 1/8 mile and Cranaleith will be on the RIGHT. From Roosevelt Boulevard: If coming North, turn LEFT onto Southampton Road (If coming South on Route 1, make a RIGHT on Southampton). Continue on Southampton Road for ONE mile to Worthington Road (stop sign). Turn LEFT on to Worthington Road, continue for ONE block to Napier Street. Turn RIGHT and proceed for THREE blocks to Proctor Road. Turn RIGHT onto Proctor Road and then make an immediate RIGHT into Cranaleith’s driveway. From PA Turnpike: Exit at #351 (Bensalem Exit). Go SOUTH on Route 1. Immediately after the Street Road Exit and Andy’s Diner, the lanes divide. Be sure to stay in the far RIGHT lane. When you come to the intersection of Southampton Road, turn RIGHT. Continue on Southampton Road for ONE mile to Worthington Road (stop sign). Turn LEFT onto Worthington Road, continue for ONE block to Napier Street. Turn RIGHT and proceed for THREE blocks to Proctor Road. Turn RIGHT onto Proctor Road and then make an immediate RIGHT into Cranaleith’s driveway.
PROBLEM WITH GOOGLE DIRECTIONS: If you are coming from the PA Turnpike, online directions automatically send you onto Street Road/132W after exiting the Turnpike and heading down Route 1 South. Many people mistakenly go East on Street Road. And others miss the subsequent Trevose Road turn because it isn’t properly marked. It’s much easier to avoid Street Road by staying on 1 South (in the right-hand lane) until Southampton Road, where you make a right. Then make a left on Worthington, a right on Napier and a right on Proctor.
By Train:
From the city (University City, 30th St. Station, Suburban Station, Market East, etc.), take the West Trenton commuter train to SOMERTON. From the station walk LEFT on Edison Avenue for two blocks. Crossover Trevose Road and then RIGHT onto Proctor Road. Cranaleith will be on the LEFT. Transportation from the station may be arranged.
By Bus:
From the Frankford Terminal, take No. 58 bus up Bustleton Ave. to Byberry Road. Walk EAST on Byberry Road for two blocks to Proctor Road. Turn LEFT onto Proctor Road and proceed for 1/8 mile. Cranaleith will be on the RIGHT.
By Plane:
From Philadelphia International Airport, take the airport train to 30th Street Station, and transfer to the R3 — West Trenton Commuter Train to SOMERTON. From the station walk LEFT on Edison Avenue for two blocks. Crossover Trevose Road and then RIGHT onto Proctor Road. Cranaleith will be on the LEFT. Transportation from the station may be arranged.
Accommodation
Enjoy a peaceful stay in our historic main house, Mill-Rae, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places! Private and shared rooms are available, each with a beautiful view of Cranaleith's gardens and grounds. Those in search of humble yet comfortable accommodations will also enjoy the Carriage House. Both buildings offer kitchenettes and cozy living spaces.
Program Price
Venue & Amenities
A/C in Rooms
Free Wifi
Spa
Sauna
Pool
Towels
Free Parking
Kitchen
Tour Assistance
Hot Tub
Coffee/Tea
Cafe
Restaurant
Fitness Center
Yoga Studio
Housekeeping
Bicycles For Rent
Gather for your next spiritual program or retreat in the cozy McAuley Room (15 guests), convenient Board Room (12guests) or the Conference Room (60 guests). Enjoy a meal in the Cranaleith dining room, (60 guests), or relax on the outdoor patio with pond views.
Meals
Menu Types
Vegan
Vegetarian
Pescetarian
Ayurvedic
Includes Meat
Organic
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Nut Free
Meals at Cranaleith nourish your body and soul! Enjoy delicious meals that suit all diets.
What's Included
What's Not Included
- Transportation
- Airfare
- Transportation
- Meals
Customer Reviews
Verified
5.0
Verified
24 Hour Silent Retreat
Cranaleith is my very favorite place to go for retreats. The facility is peaceful and the staff are excellent. Meals are generous and delightful. A great experience all around.
5.0
Verified
April Retreat for Women Veterans
5 stars
5.0
Verified
Peaceful Retreat Setting
I've been bringing groups of students to Cranaleith for retreats for over 10 years now....and we will keep coming back! The staff is always so welcoming, the food nourishes my body and soul, and as soon as I step foot on the grounds I feel at peace. I highly recommend Cranaleith for their own retreat offerings and programs, as well as, a place to bring your work or school group to!
5.0
Verified
7 Day Individually Directed Silent Retreat
This was my second 7 day retreat at Cranaleith, in addition to ongoing individual spiritual direction since 2014. I recommend the sisters at Cranaleith for their compassionate and insightful direction. If you are looking to spend time in the serenity of God and nature, it is a worthy destination.
Last Chance
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