Be alone with God?  “How can I do that with other people around?  ... How can I be quiet for five days?”  ‘Tis true, we are not alone, and are a part of a praying community.  Each day you will meet with your Director or Guide, speak of your life and prayer.  Your Director or Guide will ask you questions, give you scripture passages, or suggest other ways to pray.  You will spend the next 24 hours praying, walking in the woods, napping or just being quiet.  Then you will report to your Guide about your day.

Why be quiet?  We are so busy.  Our lives are so full.  We become quiet so we can listen carefully to God and to our own heart’s desire.  Many enjoy not having to make conversation with others as well as not having to be attentive to others’ needs.  This is a special quiet time you can give to yourself.  Just think — no phones, no laptop, no urgent things to do.  Just be alone with God and listen to life.

Do I pray all day?  No, not really.  Normally you’ll have three prayer periods of about 45-60 minutes each day.  The rest is your time to relax, rest, or just enjoy nature.  See a more detailed schedule here.

What if I’m not Catholic?  Ignatius’ exercises and prayer itself are for all people.  You don’t have to be a Catholic or Christian to pray.  If you are from a religion other than Christian, you are welcome to pray with your scriptures.

What else do I need to know?  Creighton Retreat Center is about 50 minutes east of Omaha.  You will have a private room and shared bath.  The facilities, several cabins, are modern, comfortable, and simple.  There is a dining room, Xavier chapel with many windows viewing the woods, acres of woods for hiking.  There will be optional liturgy each day.  The cost for room and board will be less than $225.  We will pass a hat to collect donations for the Directors on the last day.

Transportation?  If you need a ride, we can arrange that for you.  A round trip will cost $15.  

Coming: A van will leave Creighton's Deglman Circle (at 25th and California St.) at 6 p.m. on Sunday, May l9th.  If you are coming from the airport, catch a taxi to campus in time to gather for the bus at 6 p.m. and the 50-minute ride out to the retreat center. (A one way taxi fare will cost about $10.)   
Going: On Friday, May 24th the van will make a return trip from the Retreat Center and go directly to the airport.  If there is a 2 hour check-in for airlines, please make your flight reservations home for no earlier than 3:30 p.m.

To arrange transportation, call Joan Lanahan 402/280-2374 or e-mail her: jlanahan@creighton.edu

Driving?  Check out the link with a map to the Retreat Center or request a map on your registration form. It will be mailed along with confirmation details about the retreat.

And the weather?  Most likely it will be warm, 70 degrees and higher, but plan for Spring rain during the week.  If you check weather on a cable weather channel, look for the area around Atlantic, Iowa, east from Omaha.

What clothes should I pack?
Bring casual clothes.  There will not be dress up events. If you like to hike, bring sturdy boots for the hills.  If you like to run or bike, bring appropriate attire (and a bike if you'd like).  There are good roads for running around farms.  Otherwise, sneakers will suffice.  If the weather is warm, bring shorts.  People have been known to swim in the river and there is a park-lake within driving distance if the weather is hot.  Bring an umbrella or slicker in case of rain.

Anything else I should bring? 
Your Bible or book of prayer, a notepad or journal and pen, art materials if you like to use them on retreat. 

How do I sign up?  Fill out the form, from the link below and send it to Creighton University Retreat Center, 16493 Contrail Avenue, Griswold, IA 51535-9406.  There will be a deposit of $50.00 to hold your registration.  Directed retreat registrations will be accepted until April 15th.

Registered retreatants will receive more information and a map as the time draws closer.  

If you’d like more information, please call Joan Lanahan at Creighton University (402) 280-5210, or David Smith, S.J., at the Creighton Retreat Center (712) 778-2466.  You can visit the Retreat Center on the web at:
http://www.creighton.edu/CURC/curc.html