The hustle and bustle of modern life and its demands requiring us to be constantly tethered via technology can leave many of us longing for a chance to disconnect and recharge, physically, mentally and spiritually.
The friars of Washington, D.C.’s Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land recognize that, and invite guests of all religious faiths to stay — alone — at their tiny personal retreat house nestled in the wooded grounds located atop a hill in the northeast quadrant of the capital.
Guests may stay for 1-7 days, in a cozy, modern 350-square-foot house, equipped with a bedroom, kitchenette, desk, and even an outdoor deck to contemplate the idyllic natural setting in the spirit of St. Francis, the founder of the monastery’s order.
“Are you ready to enter into a deeper communion with God through prayer and solitude?” begins the video promoting the monastery’s two Hermitage guesthouses. And while guests are welcome to attend Mass and confession with one of the monastery’s 20 resident friars, visitors of all denominations are invited to shut off their devices and surrender themselves to the solitude offered there.
Time spent alone, reading, and in prayer or contemplation can be interspersed with visits to the monastery’s beautiful church and walks around the monastery’s extensive gardens and full-sized replicas of Holy Land sites. The 42-acre grounds also include a reproduction of the grotto at Lourdes.
To make a reservation, at $95 a night, contact the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America hermitage@myfranciscan.com.
And today we celebrate...