Human beings have received from the Creator a common gift: nature.
~ Pope Francis

Are you feeling a desire to be present to yourself, the Divine, and others within the natural world?

How might you fill a need for yourself to welcome God our creator amidst creation?

The Renew Retreat is an individual or group contemplative pilgrimage retreat. We provide you with some scriptural and prayerful prompts aligned with the four elements — fire, water, earth, and air — that will help guide your journey into and beyond the garden in ways that strengthen your awareness of the Divine presence and action in you and the world, of creation as a renewable resource, and of your place in it all. After your hour or two pilgrimage in the St. Francis Garden, a certified spiritual director meets with you at the Dominican Center Marywood to help unpack your new awareness. In that sacred space you can encounter God’s presence and share renewed realizations.

Do not forget your purpose and destiny as God’s creature. What you are in his sight is what you are and nothing more. Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take nothing that you have received … but only what you have given; a full heart enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice, and courage.
~ St. Francis of Assisi

Allow the path of St. Francis’ own contemplative spiritual life to offer a path for your journey toward healing and wholeness. The St. Francis of Assisi Sculpture Garden in Grand Rapids, Michigan is a peaceful scenic sanctuary for the senses. As you walk the wooded trails, you are led into the pace and rhythms of the natural world. Water, earth, fire, and air greet you — each element of nature a reminder of the peaceful relationship between living organisms and their physical environment. Immerse your mind, body and soul and allow your spirit to be led to notice where God’s desires align with your deepest longings.

Sit a while on a hand-carved bench, in gratitude for God the Creator artist and the human artist whose hands crafted it for your rest. The beautifully sculpted bronze statues of St. Francis of Assisi along the trail depict him in postures of prayer, meditation, preaching, and interacting with nature. Each sculpture setting welcomes you to quiet reflection. Storyboards share the life of this inspirational saint whose writings and teachings about ecology and animals continue to inspire people of all faiths.

During the Winter (Nov 1 – Apr 1)

We offer the Renew Retreat during the winter season as there is much the Spirit offers through its challenge and beauty. For some, it is precisely where they need to meet with God—in the bareness, the dormancy, the chill, or the muted softness of snow, the different palette of color, and the way the light falls. If you are drawn to retreat with us in the winter, be sure to layer up, wear your winter boots, hat and mittens, and we will have a hot drink waiting for you and lap blanket if you wish for your spiritual direction time!