Winter Retreat

Awakened by Beauty

Presented by Kim Smolik, Ed.D.

Beauty slows us down. It invites us to notice the song of birds, the quiet of a chapel, a lingering conversation, and the many ordinary ways God's presence becomes available. Our lives can become so full that we miss what has been there all along. This retreat invites us to become attentive to God's presence through creativity, the natural world, silence, and one another.

We'll settle into a rhythm of noticing, making, reflecting, and sharing, with time for rest, walks in the woods, and the Liturgy of the Hours. Simple creative practices with color and natural materials become another way of praying and practicing attention. No artistic experience is needed, only a willingness to be curious.

Registration Information

The retreat begins with supper at 5:30 p.m. on Friday and concludes after a Sunday morning conference and optional 10:30 a.m. Mass. 

Cost: single-occupancy room, $285; double-occupancy room, $495; suite, $565; meals included.

To register for this retreat, contact the Spiritual Life Office at 320-363-3929, email us at spirlife@osb.org, or register online.

Kim Smolik, Ed.D.

Kim Smolik, Ed.D., has spent her career accompanying leaders and communities through seasons of discernment, retreat, and formation. Most recently, as a Scholar in Residence at the Collegeville Institute at St. John's, she created a contemplative painting series inspired by the leadership voices of women saints and mystics. A pilgrim who has walked over 3,000 miles on ancient paths, Kim believes the spiritual life is found in learning to pay attention along the way, a practice she writes about on her Substack, The Attentive Life.