5.0
Verified
Pax tecum
A wonderfully quiet and serene place to read, reflect and meditate. I especially enjoyed the stations of the cross amongst the forest.
6 Day (5 Night) Contemplative Outreach Intensive Silent Centering Prayer Retreat
Top Rated
6 Day (5 Night) Contemplative Outreach Intensive Silent Centering Prayer Retreat
4.86298 reviews
500 College Street NE Lacey, Washington 98516
Up to 10 in group
November 8 - 13, 2026
Retreat Highlights
- Before attending the retreat, you should have an established daily practice of Centering Prayer with two 20-minute periods of prayer a day for at least six months to one year.
About this Retreat
Your Guides
Anna-Camille Wooden, OSB is St. Placid Priory's sub-prioress, Oblate Director, a program presenter, and helps care for the monastery cat. She has a long time Centering Prayer practice, is a commissioned presenter of Centering Prayer, an experienced retreat leader, and is on the Contemplative Outreach Northwest Leadership team.
Paul is a longtime Centering Prayer practitioner and original witness to Contemplative Outreach’s founding. He has served as youth minister, organizer, business owner, and theology teacher. Trained in Special Education, BreathWave breathing, and yoga, he will train as a Sacred Deathcare Guide. He helped establish Contemplative Outreach Northwest and promote Centering Prayer regionally.
Details of this retreat
This retreat provides an opportunity to deepen your established Centering Prayer practice in an atmosphere of silence and community, away from the busyness of daily life, and to allow your mind, body and spirit to surrender to God’s presence and action within. It has an educational component to immerse you both in the practice of Centering Prayer and, increasingly, in the conceptual background of the spiritual practice.
Each day there will be about three and a half hours of Centering Prayer, ranging from 20 to 30-minute periods of prayer, some back-to-back with a contemplative walk in between. In addition, participants will learn some teachings from the Thomas Keating “Spiritual Journey” video series. Except for opening and closing times, silence will be observed throughout the retreat, including at meals. Participants can choose to remain in silence after the videos or participate in a short sharing session on the teaching.
A more detailed note will be sent to registrants before the retreat with suggestions for deepening interior silence.
Before attending the retreat, you should have an established daily practice of Centering Prayer with two 20-minute periods of prayer a day for at least six months to one year.
For more information: contact Sr. Anna-Camille Wooden at camillewooden5@gmail.com. [A deposit of $100.00 upon registration will secure a place in the retreat.]
Partial scholarships are available.
DEPOSIT REFUND POLICY:
60+ days before retreat start: 100% of deposit refunded 30–59 days before retreat start: 50% of deposit refunded 0–29 days before retreat start: 0% of deposit refunded
Each day there will be about three and a half hours of Centering Prayer, ranging from 20 to 30-minute periods of prayer, some back-to-back with a contemplative walk in between. In addition, participants will learn some teachings from the Thomas Keating “Spiritual Journey” video series. Except for opening and closing times, silence will be observed throughout the retreat, including at meals. Participants can choose to remain in silence after the videos or participate in a short sharing session on the teaching.
A more detailed note will be sent to registrants before the retreat with suggestions for deepening interior silence.
Before attending the retreat, you should have an established daily practice of Centering Prayer with two 20-minute periods of prayer a day for at least six months to one year.
For more information: contact Sr. Anna-Camille Wooden at camillewooden5@gmail.com. [A deposit of $100.00 upon registration will secure a place in the retreat.]
Partial scholarships are available.
DEPOSIT REFUND POLICY:
60+ days before retreat start: 100% of deposit refunded 30–59 days before retreat start: 50% of deposit refunded 0–29 days before retreat start: 0% of deposit refunded
Getting Here
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)
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)
Accommodation
We have ten retreat bedrooms, most of which are equipped with two twin beds. The rooms may be shared if you are coming with a friend or partner, but generally there is just one person per room. Our building is set back among the trees so the rooms stay fairly cool. There is heat in each room for the colder nights. Each room has a sink, mirror, chair, desk, and small closet area. Towels and linens are provided, but please bring your own toiletries. Bathrooms are shared and showers are available. Retreatants are welcome to join the Sisters for Mass, Praise, and meals. There is wi-fi available in the Priory Library from 8:30am-8:00pm everyday. The Priory Store is also open on Fridays and Saturdays. Plenty of walking trails wind around the Priory's property and are open to retreatants. Spiritual Direction is available upon request at an additional charge.
Includes Program, Meals & Lodging. A deposit of $100.00 upon registration will secure a place in the retreat. Partial scholarships are available.
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
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
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
Vegan
Vegetarian
Pescetarian
Ayurvedic
Includes Meat
Organic
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Nut Free
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
What's Included
- As a Benedictine women’s monastery, the Priory offers the opportunity to join the sisters in the liturgy of the hours.
What's Not Included
- You can request spiritual direction for an additional fee.
Customer Reviews
Verified
5.0
Verified
Tangling with Sr Monica
This was a fun and challenging class with lots of creativity and clear guidance. I really enjoyed the time and learned some beautiful zen tangle principles.
5.0
Verified
An Excellent Introduction to Zentangles
Sister Monika is a wonderful teacher. She is kind positive and respectful to everyone. I loved my first experience with learning the art and prayerful practice of meditative zentangling.
I would recommend this experience to anyone and everyone.
I would recommend this experience to anyone and everyone.
5.0
Verified
Hospitality
From being welcomed by Lorraine, to the excellent meals and the grounding of the rhythm of services, I found my time at St Placid Priory to be exceptional. I've had the privilege to attend a number of retreat centres over the years and I can say that at St. Placid's I was immediately comfortable with the Sisters. The Priory stands out as a treasured experience in my life. The accommodations are comfortable with everything one needs, the grounds are beautiful, the forest comforting and the wildlife inspiring. What a remarkable group of professed women who demonstrated the value of community and fidelity to it. My favourite memory - our Soul Circle brought our biographies for the rooms we were in (I was in Heloise) to our evening prayer and we shared and reflected on the lives of these faithful women on whose shoulders we stand. Being with a community of women, immersing ourselves in the stories of the faithful women of the past, attending communion service where for the first time in my life a woman stood at the altar to lead the prayer - it was all so healing and inspiring - for continuing my journey as a woman of faith in the Church community.
5.0
Verified
When the Heart Is Touched: The Ancient Monastic Method of Lectio Divina
On Saturday, July 20, Sr. Anna-Camille treated a group of us to a deep dive into the ancient prayer form of lectio divina. The first thing I noticed about Sister's approach to the subject was her quiet format for the day. We eased into our subject slowly and were therefore able to begin to immerse ourselves in prayer without the distractions that sometimes meet us in our daily lives. We talked about different ways to pray lectio by ourselves, which is the ancient and ongoing way monastics pray.
We really were immersed in prayer all day long, and the atmosphere in the room was deeply satisfying and reverent. We prayed through various pieces of scripture, noticing how the words, when deeply felt, made astonishing impressions on us.
It was a relaxing, quiet day of prayer that was both refreshing and restful. My daily lectio practice has been enhanced by our day of quiet, but powerful prayer.
We really were immersed in prayer all day long, and the atmosphere in the room was deeply satisfying and reverent. We prayed through various pieces of scripture, noticing how the words, when deeply felt, made astonishing impressions on us.
It was a relaxing, quiet day of prayer that was both refreshing and restful. My daily lectio practice has been enhanced by our day of quiet, but powerful prayer.
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