Bethany Retreat House

Away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, there is a modest, quiet sanctuary.

This sanctuary is set aside for people who need to take some time out – time to reflect on themselves and God; time to get in touch with their spiritual lives.

Photo: Jon Hendricks Bethany Retreat House is a reverent place nestled in East Chicago, Indiana. It is named after the town where Jesus would often come for friendship and comfort. As a ministry of the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ, a group of Catholic Sisters, Bethany Retreat House offers a quiet place to meditate, pray, and build on your spiritual relationship with God. Rather than a grand monastery, Bethany Retreat House gives the feeling of a comfortable little home away from home. It offers a personal space for prayer and reflection and shows the gentle beauty and hospitality of God all around.

Bethany Retreat House caters to those in need of private, quiet reflection. Guests who wish can choose the individually directed retreat which includes daily spiritual direction as part of their silent retreat. In an individually directed retreat, the spiritual director and the individual reflect together on his/her experience in retreat. The spiritual director serves as a sounding board, a resource, someone to help with discernment, someone familiar with the spiritual life. At Bethany the spiritual director draws on a variety of resources to help individuals grow in openness to God: scripture, journaling, dreamwork, artistic expression, guided imagery, fairy tales, the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, and more. Each person's retreat is individually designed to meet that person's needs, including dates, length of stay, and arrival and departure times.

There is a library at Bethany Retreat House full of books, conference cassettes, and videos on prayer, spirituality, dreamwork, journaling, loss and grieving, and human development. There are also cassettes and CDs of meditation and liturgical music. The trove of knowledge and resources at the library is mirrored in Bethany Retreat House's bookstore. Guests are able to purchase and take home the titles that abound at Bethany Retreat House. The bookstore also offers gift certificates.

A visit to Bethany Retreat House is affordable. Rooms and meals are included in the cost. It is also located in a pleasant neighborhood with a park nearby and the beaches of Lake Michigan no more than a half hour's drive away. The hospitable atmosphere of Bethany Retreat House makes it the perfect choice for anyone looking for a quiet place to unwind, find God and strengthen their spiritual lives.

For more information about Bethany Retreat House, please visit their website at: www.bethanyretreathouse.org