Places for a silent retreat

[beatitude]

This isn't really vocation-related, but I think VSers might have better answers. Does anyone know a good place in the UK for a long-ish silent retreat? I'm looking for somewhere that has daily Mass and Adoration, that's ideally rural and remote. When I say silent, I want big silence.  

[Gabriela]

I obviously don't know, but if I were you, I'd check out St. Cecilia's on the Isle of Wight, because "Isle" sounds really remote.  

[katarzyna]

Craig Lodge Family House of Prayer in Dalmally (Scotland). They have organised retreats, but also offer a possibility of a longer, private stay. It is rural Scotland - no mobile phone reception, no Wi-Fi, beautiful surroundings. Total silence  

 

[beatitude]

58 minutes ago, Gabriela said:

I obviously don't know, but if I were you, I'd check out St. Cecilia's on the Isle of Wight, because "Isle" sounds really remote.  

St Cecilia's is actually located in a town, in a residential area not far from shops. I was quite dismayed when I heard that - I'd been imagining it as a remote abbey set against a backdrop of meadows and sea!

56 minutes ago, katarzyna said:

Craig Lodge Family House of Prayer in Dalmally (Scotland). They have organised retreats, but also offer a possibility of a longer, private stay. It is rural Scotland - no mobile phone reception, no Wi-Fi, beautiful surroundings. Total silence  

 

I've heard of Craig Lodge. I can't believe I'm contemplating a journey up to the Highlands in December, but it may be the very place.

[Spem in alium]

No idea, but I'll pray for you and your time of retreat!

[Egeria]

I don't imagine that it's that remote, but what about Minster Abbey? I've never been there, but have heard good things about it. Also, I seem to remember reading that they have Adoration after Compline each evening, which is somewhat unusual for Benedictines.

http://www.minsterabbeynuns.org/

[juchu]

If Ireland is not too far away :

http://www.benedictinemonks.co.uk/

[Sister Leticia]

I don't know what you mean by longish - most retreat centres have specified times, usually 6-8 days. A few may allow retreatants to stay longer, but the only one I know which offers that doesn't have daily Mass, as it is very rural, and the parish priest (in the nearest town, about 3 miles away) also serves 2 other parishes.

There's St Beuno's in north Wales, where Gerald Manley Hopkins once lived and wrote poetry. I don't know if they have adoration every day, but you can of course ask http://www.pathwaystogod.org/org/st-beunos

[Egeria]

Thinking about this more, and also in response to what Sister Leticia has said, I wonder if a monastery is not more suitable than a retreat centre. But then it may also help to have some relationship with the community so that they may be prepared to allow you to come for a longer time or to use a hermitage that isn't generally advertised to the general public. However, most monasteries (at least in the Benedictine tradition) don't usually have Adoration - and more remote communities of women may not have daily Mass these days. (I thought of suggesting the Cistercians at Whitland in Wales, but I'm not sure if they have a chaplain at present).

One other possibility, if you want to go that far, may be the Adoration sisters in Ireland.
http://www.adorationsisters.info/phone/ferns.html

I really believe that it is important to have places available for extended solitary retreats (and that also don't cost the earth). I remember hearing about a place in Wales where would-be hermits could rent out hermitages, but I don't know if it still exists (and I seem to remember that it was quite expensive). I was once privileged to spend some months in a hermitage at Bede House in Kent, which was run by the Anglican Sisters of the Love of God, but that has since closed. There was also Sancti Angeli Skete in Scotland, but that has also closed. So you may need to ask around...

[beatitude]

Ireland is a possibility and the Adoration Sisters' hermitages look like they might be the very thing. I live on the right side of the country for it and I'm involved in a charity over there, so I quite often go across for meetings. Thanks.  I'm going to write to them and Craig Lodge and see what their upcoming availability is. Members of my secular institute are required to go to daily Mass and spend an hour in Adoration if at all possible, which is why I'm making a point of these things. If I can't find them then I will just have to compromise a bit on the rural silence.

[Egeria]

If Ireland's an option, then there is also Holy Hill Hermitage. I seem to remember that they don't have daily Mass (and I've no idea about Adoration), but that was some years ago... Their community has also been through some developments (some of them apparently went off the rails and left), so I've no idea what they're like now, but you may want to investigate if other options don't work out...

http://www.holyhill.ie/