Conscious Choice: Reclaim Your Spirit

January 2002

Reclaim Your Spirit

by Christine McCurdy, Janice Thompson, James Faber

Cenacle Retreat House

Thirty miles west of Chicago’s border, a handsome spread of masterful oak and willow trees shade the Cenacle Retreat House and Spirituality Center, situated on forty-two acres of land along the banks of the DuPage River; in this place you will find tools both to restore your energy level and reclaim your spirit.

Located in the small town of Warrenville, the Center is owned and operated by the Religious Order of the Cenacle; the sisters and their associates are trained to provide spiritual guidance and enlightenment for both groups and individuals who desire a more meaningful relationship with God and a better understanding of their humanity and, ultimately, themselves.

According to Sr. Joyce Kemp, R.C., Ph.D. — who also heads Program Planning and Marketing — the Cenacle’s retreats and individual programs cater not only to persons of the Catholic faith, but all denominations and backgrounds.

"Our aim is to provide spirituality, guidance, and personal growth to everyone, and we try and tailor our programs to that end," she said.

The Warrenville branch of the Cenacle originally opened in February, 1939, and is one of hundreds located throughout the world. Its location is a great boon to the experience of retreat; though Cenacle retreats and programs are structured, there is always time for quiet contemplation and reflection. Weather permitting, guests can enjoy strolling around the grounds, amid native wildlife, including deer, foxes, raccoons, groundhogs, squirrels, and many bird species; Canadian geese also congregate on the DuPage River. The setting is both peaceful and pastoral, even in the wintertime, when freshly fallen snow covers the area and four-footed residents leave a winding labyrinth of tracks.

The Cenacle is home to Sr. Kemp and ten other nuns; there is also a trained staff of full- and part-time people helping to provide quality programs for guests.

In the winter/spring of 2002, weekend retreats will begin with arrivals to the center at 6:30 pm. On Fridays, the first conference begins later in the evening, and most retreats close with dinner at 12:30 pm on Sunday. For a complete listing of the wide variety of programs and retreats offered at the Cenacle, call 630-393-1231, or 800-240-6702.

Cenacle Retreat House, 29 W. 012 Batavia Road (north of Butterfield Road); mailing address: P.O. Box 797, Warrenville, IL 60555. Visit www.cenacle.org, or e-mail ministry@cenacle.org for more information. — Christine McCurdy

Zen Buddhist Retreats

If the current state of the world doesn’t do it, our own personal challenges can occasionally send us pining for some peace and solitude. Zen Master Venerable Samu Sunim understands the need for a peaceful environment to aid in healing and self-renewal.

Artists suffering from creative blocks, stressed-out individuals, or those who prefer a serene place to fast for self-healing and purification can stay within the Zen Buddhist Temple’s retreat center space located on the third floor of the temple at 1710 W. Cornelia, in the heart of the Lakeview neighborhood.

The Temple has had a significant history as a religious structure. Built in 1917 as a Masonic Lodge, the building operated as a Baptist Seminary in the 1940s. At the time it was purchased for use as the Zen Temple and Monastery in 1992, it had been serving as a Pentecostal Church. It was in serious disrepair, much like the vacant department stores and warehouses nearby.

Like the neighborhood around it, however, the temple has been reborn. The department store buildings and warehouses are residential condominiums, and a Whole Foods Market has been built from scratch. Old landmarks like Dinkel’s Bakery, reminiscent of the neighborhood’s German origin, now sit comfortably across the street from new and vibrant venues like the Wishbone Restaurant. And the Zen Buddhist Temple is well known for its Sunday Meditation Services held in the spacious room on the second floor.

Ven. Samu Sunim does more than hold services. He also offers an affordable get-away for those who seek a peaceful haven without leaving the city. Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike can design their own private retreats lasting one day to several months. Residing in one of the twelve individual and dormitory-style rooms, a resident can either enjoy complete solitude or arrange for help with spiritual matters with Ven. Samu Sunim. Meals can be had at the neighborhood’s many restaurants, but many choose to eat at the center. In the summer, organic vegetables from the center’s own garden are part of the repast.

The center is a block from the Brown Line Paulina stop and within walking distance of neighborhood buses. The price for an overnight stay is $45 and a two-night weekend stay is $75 Weekly and monthly rates are $200 and $600 respectively. Call 773-528-8685 for more information. — Janice Thompson

Saint Benedict Center

The Saint Benedict Center is located on 130 wooded acres in Middleton, Wisconsin (twenty minutes from Madison), overlooking Lake Mendota and the City of Madison. The grounds include a monastery, an ecumenical retreat and conference center, and two hermitages. They feature a restored 10,000-year-old glacial lake with meditation benches, prairie areas, a wetland, gardens, orchards, and wooded nature trails.

Benedict House was built in 1961 to serve the Sisters of Saint Benedict, the first ecumenical monastic community of women in North America.

People of all faith traditions are welcome at the center. The sisters offer spiritual growth group retreats, individual retreats, Liturgy of the Hours celebrated three times daily, annual spring and fall community workdays, and monthly musical performances. The public also is invited to six bimonthly art exhibits and to walk the nature trails and explore the restored prairie areas and meditation sites.

The Center has conference rooms with overhead projectors, slide projectors, and easels complete with paper for rent. Computer modem hookups are available in a limited number of conference rooms, and fax and copy services are available at the reception desk.

The thirty-three guest bedrooms can accommodate up to forty-two individual guests. Cost varies with programs, but overnight (individual) retreats in the monastery are $32 for a bedroom, including a free continental breakfast. Lunch is $5.75 and dinner is $7.25.

For groups, guest rooms in the lodge are $39 a night per person, and $49 a night for two people (in a queen-size bed). There is a ten percent discount for church and nonprofit groups, and children in the same room as paying adults stay free.

Meal service is also available with a minimum of twelve people. All meals are served buffet style in a separate dining room. Breakfast is $5.50 per person, lunch and dinner cost $8.00 each. There are special prices for children. Guests can enjoy a hearty buffet with fresh produce and homemade apple cider or applesauce harvested from the orchards on the grounds. Vegetarian and special dietary menus are also available.

Saint Benedict Center, 4200 Highway M, Middleton, Wisconsin; 608-836-1631 ext. 121. — James Faber

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