Now that you have your 2011 calendar it is time to block out the weekend of the Parish Retreat at Shrine Mont. The dates this year are Friday, May 6th through Sunday, May 8th. The flowers will be in bloom, the wisteria will be sending out a sweet fragrance and the weather should be mild.
The highlights of the weekend include s’mores around the campfire, hiking the mountain, music by St Thomas musicians, family-style meals, and Sunday morning worship at the Cathedral Shrine.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
2010 Schedule
Friday
4:00 pm and on - Check in with Cindy
5:30 - 7:00 pm - Dinner in Virginia House
8:00 pm - Welcome Gathering in Chilton Hall
9:00 pm - Compline in Chilton Hall
Bonfire in the field near the upper pavilion
Saturday
7:30 am - Wake up bells ring
8:00 am (sharp) - Breakfast in Tucker Dining Hall
9:00 am - Morning Prayer in Meade living room
Morning activities:
trip to the candy store
hike to the Cross with the group (meet at Scott)
walk the labyrinth (near the Shrine)
Noon - Noon Devotions in Meade living room
12:30 - Lunch in Tucker Dining Hall
Afternoon activities:
Free time
Bookstore
Catching Newts
Walk the labyrinth
Playground
Sports
Visit the new winery down the road
4:30 pm - Social Time (location to be determined)
5:30 om - Dinner in Tucker Dining Hall
7:00 pm - Evening Prayer in Meade living room
8:00 pm - Square Dance in lower pavilion
(if too cold, indoor location is Chilton Hall)
Sunday
7:30 - Wake up bells ring
8:00 - Breakfast in Tucker Dining Hall
Morning activities:
Free time
Pack
Bookstore
10:15 am - Holy Eucharist in the Shrine
11:30 am - Pack and load cars
(remember to take
food items, etc. from common areas)
12:30 am - Lunch in Tucker Dining Hall
Depart in Peace
4:00 pm and on - Check in with Cindy
5:30 - 7:00 pm - Dinner in Virginia House
8:00 pm - Welcome Gathering in Chilton Hall
9:00 pm - Compline in Chilton Hall
Bonfire in the field near the upper pavilion
Saturday
7:30 am - Wake up bells ring
8:00 am (sharp) - Breakfast in Tucker Dining Hall
9:00 am - Morning Prayer in Meade living room
Morning activities:
trip to the candy store
hike to the Cross with the group (meet at Scott)
walk the labyrinth (near the Shrine)
Noon - Noon Devotions in Meade living room
12:30 - Lunch in Tucker Dining Hall
Afternoon activities:
Free time
Bookstore
Catching Newts
Walk the labyrinth
Playground
Sports
Visit the new winery down the road
4:30 pm - Social Time (location to be determined)
5:30 om - Dinner in Tucker Dining Hall
7:00 pm - Evening Prayer in Meade living room
8:00 pm - Square Dance in lower pavilion
(if too cold, indoor location is Chilton Hall)
Sunday
7:30 - Wake up bells ring
8:00 - Breakfast in Tucker Dining Hall
Morning activities:
Free time
Pack
Bookstore
10:15 am - Holy Eucharist in the Shrine
11:30 am - Pack and load cars
(remember to take
food items, etc. from common areas)
12:30 am - Lunch in Tucker Dining Hall
Depart in Peace
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Life Unplugged!
Join us for a weekend in the mountains. Read a book in a chair on the porch, hike up a mountain, play your musical instrument, walk the labyrinth, cook s'mores at the bonfire, and limbo at the dance.
These are just some of the ways to escape from Northern Virginia: traffic, tv, internet, video games, phone calls. Leave it all behind and join us at Shrine Mont!
Packing List
Snacks and Drinks to share during social time and Square Dance on Saturday.
- remember soft drinks for the kids
- beer and wine, if you want it
- sweets (brownies, cookies), salty (nuts, crackers, pretzels), fruit, cheese, dips
Marshmallow roasting skewers, if you have them
Reusable drink mug for coffee and tea throughout the day. Or pre-order a Shrine Mont travel mug ($3) and Cindy will have it for you when you arrive.
Reusable sports bottles for kids (good for hike).
Camera
Cards and board games (in case it rains)
Musical Instruments (and tell Shawn if you want to play an instrument during the worship services so he can transpose the music).
Flashlight
Comfortable clothing and shoes (extra clothes and shoes for kids!) Lots of socks for the kids. (They tend to find their way into the streams and ponds and puddles and mud.)
Dress in layers - it is warm during the day and cool at night. No dressy clothes needed.
Raingear, just in case.
Sunscreen and bug spray.
Sports equipment: Fishing rod, nets, tennis rackets, football, kickball, basketballs
(Linens and towels are provided) but you may wish to bring extra towels (esp. if you like big, fluffy towels)
- remember soft drinks for the kids
- beer and wine, if you want it
- sweets (brownies, cookies), salty (nuts, crackers, pretzels), fruit, cheese, dips
Marshmallow roasting skewers, if you have them
Reusable drink mug for coffee and tea throughout the day. Or pre-order a Shrine Mont travel mug ($3) and Cindy will have it for you when you arrive.
Reusable sports bottles for kids (good for hike).
Camera
Cards and board games (in case it rains)
Musical Instruments (and tell Shawn if you want to play an instrument during the worship services so he can transpose the music).
Flashlight
Comfortable clothing and shoes (extra clothes and shoes for kids!) Lots of socks for the kids. (They tend to find their way into the streams and ponds and puddles and mud.)
Dress in layers - it is warm during the day and cool at night. No dressy clothes needed.
Raingear, just in case.
Sunscreen and bug spray.
Sports equipment: Fishing rod, nets, tennis rackets, football, kickball, basketballs
(Linens and towels are provided) but you may wish to bring extra towels (esp. if you like big, fluffy towels)
2010 Retreat is Almost Here
We are finalizing the rooms and schedule for our 2010 retreat. Please let us know if you are joining us as soon as possible! Watch this website for the retreat schedule, packing list and driving directions.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Weekend Schedule
Music in the Mountains
St Thomas Retreat 2009
FRIDAY
4:00 pm Check In Peterkin
5:30-7:00 Dinner Virginia House
8:00 Welcome and Family Activities Chilton
9:00 Compline Chilton
Bonfire Upper Pavilion
SATURDAY
8:00 am Breakfast Tucker Dining Room
9:00 Morning Prayer Meade
Hike to the Cross and/or
Visit the New Labyrinth (contemplative)
Noon Devotions at Noon Meade
12:30 pm Lunch Tucker Dining Room
1:30 Free time/music rehearsal
Camp tour Virginia House lobby
3:00 Hayride Virginia House lawn
Quiet Prayer time with harp music (adults only)
4:30 Social Time Peterkin Porch
5:30 Dinner Tucker Dining Room
7:00 Evening Prayer Meade
8:00 Square Dance Lower Pavilion
SUNDAY
8:00 am Breakfast Tucker Dining Room
Free time/pack/visit bookstore
10:00 Eucharist Shrine
11:30 Pack and load cars
12:30 pm Lunch Tucker Dining Room
Depart in Peace
St Thomas Retreat 2009
FRIDAY
4:00 pm Check In Peterkin
5:30-7:00 Dinner Virginia House
8:00 Welcome and Family Activities Chilton
9:00 Compline Chilton
Bonfire Upper Pavilion
SATURDAY
8:00 am Breakfast Tucker Dining Room
9:00 Morning Prayer Meade
Hike to the Cross and/or
Visit the New Labyrinth (contemplative)
Noon Devotions at Noon Meade
12:30 pm Lunch Tucker Dining Room
1:30 Free time/music rehearsal
Camp tour Virginia House lobby
3:00 Hayride Virginia House lawn
Quiet Prayer time with harp music (adults only)
4:30 Social Time Peterkin Porch
5:30 Dinner Tucker Dining Room
7:00 Evening Prayer Meade
8:00 Square Dance Lower Pavilion
SUNDAY
8:00 am Breakfast Tucker Dining Room
Free time/pack/visit bookstore
10:00 Eucharist Shrine
11:30 Pack and load cars
12:30 pm Lunch Tucker Dining Room
Depart in Peace
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Take A Break From Northern VA
Each spring, for as along as our kids can remember, the Hargroves have headed to Shrine Mont in Orkney Springs for the annual Parish Retreat. We look forward to the weekend each year for many reasons.
We are unplugged. Yes, it is wonderful that the cell phone doesn’t work so well and that there is no internet or TV. The hand-held games stay in the car if we brought them for the ride. The kids investigate the streams, catch newts in the pond, play ball, run and swing at the playground. We all hike, dance and go for a hayride. We look at spring budding, fossils on the mountain, wisteria blooming, streams of running water as the winter snows melt.
We have time to chat. How often do you really sit after a meal and chat with other adults? Or sit on a porch, watching the kids play and the flowers bloom? Or catch up with a friend after the kids are asleep? We do all that.
The kids can be kids. The kids often leave the dining room and go up to the playground. The older ones take the little ones. We don’t worry about our kids when we are at Shrine Mont like we do in Northern Virginia. The small town atmosphere allows them to roam, much like we did as kids. Each year we give them a little more leeway to explore the grounds.
We don’t do chores. There’s no laundry, yard work or cooking. Similar to a vacation with your family except that when you go to the dining room the meal is ready and we are all together. No menus, no fussy kids. We enjoy the community and fellowship time, so often ignored in Northern VA.
We don’t get stuck in traffic (once you get out of Northern VA). Most of us park the car on Friday and get back in it on Sunday. Wow! It feels great to walk to meals, the bookstore, the playground and the candy store.
These are just some of the great things that come to mind. If you haven’t been to Shrine Mont, please consider coming just once. Most of us can’t stop going. It is truly an amazing place.
We are unplugged. Yes, it is wonderful that the cell phone doesn’t work so well and that there is no internet or TV. The hand-held games stay in the car if we brought them for the ride. The kids investigate the streams, catch newts in the pond, play ball, run and swing at the playground. We all hike, dance and go for a hayride. We look at spring budding, fossils on the mountain, wisteria blooming, streams of running water as the winter snows melt.
We have time to chat. How often do you really sit after a meal and chat with other adults? Or sit on a porch, watching the kids play and the flowers bloom? Or catch up with a friend after the kids are asleep? We do all that.
The kids can be kids. The kids often leave the dining room and go up to the playground. The older ones take the little ones. We don’t worry about our kids when we are at Shrine Mont like we do in Northern Virginia. The small town atmosphere allows them to roam, much like we did as kids. Each year we give them a little more leeway to explore the grounds.
We don’t do chores. There’s no laundry, yard work or cooking. Similar to a vacation with your family except that when you go to the dining room the meal is ready and we are all together. No menus, no fussy kids. We enjoy the community and fellowship time, so often ignored in Northern VA.
We don’t get stuck in traffic (once you get out of Northern VA). Most of us park the car on Friday and get back in it on Sunday. Wow! It feels great to walk to meals, the bookstore, the playground and the candy store.
These are just some of the great things that come to mind. If you haven’t been to Shrine Mont, please consider coming just once. Most of us can’t stop going. It is truly an amazing place.
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