There are a wide variety of ways to improve overall health and wellness throughout the Quad Cities. Perhaps you will spend some time on the Mississippi river walking with your friends, or enjoying time exercising at one of many local YMCA’s. Regardless of what you do, there are ample opportunities for yourself to step back in your hectic life, and focus on your own mental and physical health. In addition to these opportunities, Our Lady of the Prairie Retreat offers numerous day trips and weekend getaways for individuals looking to get out of the city life, and recharge their spiritual, physical, and mental health in a beautiful rural landscape. Let’s take a look at the Retreat and how you could benefit from it.
https://www.chmiowa.org/retreat
Our Lady of The Prairie Retreat
To begin our look at the offerings of the Prairie Retreat, we will split up these items in a few areas to help organize and show what the retreat has to offer. We will look at the following:
- Retreat Origin
- Types of Retreats
- Features of the Facility
Retreat Origin
The retreat itself is owned by the Congregation of the Humility of Mary, a local Diocese located in Davenport, that houses retired Sisters in faith, in addition to helping educate new members and spreading the word of grace and kindness to others. Early on in the development of the religious community, two of the head individuals, Fr. Vincent Fabula, a monk of New Melleray Abbey, and Sr. Joann Kuebrich, realized that there was a need to have a dedicated retreat center to practice spiritual growth and development among the community. Because of this, the two set out to find a place of stillness in the Iowa countryside. They ended up finding and purchasing a beautiful 200 acre farm near Wheatland, which is now where the Prairie Retreat resides.
Types of Retreats
When it comes to actually attending retreats, the first thing that might come to your mind is “I am not religious,” or “I have no affiliation with the Diocese.” I originally had this exact same thought in my mind too. I thought that the grounds and retreat were just for the members of the Humility of Mary community. I was pleasantly surprised when I found out I was dead wrong. The Prairie actually is open to the public for a variety of spiritual and wellness retreats. Some of the retreats are more catered towards a specific population, but at the end of the day, anyone is welcome to join one. A few examples of retreats are, Mass on the Prairie, Yoga Retreats, Prayer and Inner Peace Retreats, Bread Making classes, and even Picture Taking clinics. As mentioned, these are a few of many retreats that are available for individuals to partake in. At the time of writing this article, I am planning on doing an “inner peace and meditation” retreat, in addition to a “Special Needs recreation day,” retreat. There truly are a wide variety of opportunities for yourself to get out of the busy Quad Cities day, and enjoy some time out on the prairie.
Features of the Facility
By far one of the best aspects of the Prairie Retreat, is the facility and the ground it stays on. As mentioned, the facility is located in Wheatland, Iowa, on the premise of a beautiful 200 acre farm. The atmosphere of the Prairie Retreat is beautiful with trees, landscape, and rolling hills to bask in the peace and serenity of the place itself. There are two large buildings that make up the retreat. One, is an old farm house where the manager of the retreat lives, and occasionally houses other guests. In addition to this, there is another large communal building where all of the meals are prepared, and guests are housed. There are 8 individual guest rooms with a bed, sink, shower, and everything you need for a wonderful day or night on the prairie. In addition to these amenities, the large communal building has many spaces to meet for discussion, including a large library and “church” atmosphere in the basement of the area. Outside, you can find endless angles to enjoy gazing into the peaceful, rural Iowa landscape. Past this, there is a “cosmic walk” area, which gives individuals an opportunity to take a peaceful stroll through a small bit of wilderness, taking time to appreciate life and find meaning in what they truly want. In addition to this, there is an area setup outside for prayer, with benches and an environment setup in an appropriate manner. Another neat aspect is that there is a large garden where some of the food produced is actually used in the kitchen for retreats. Any way you cut it, the rural atmosphere is beautiful and gives a perfect back drop for discussion and growth with others alike.
Overall, the Prairie Retreat brings the small town Iowa feel, in conjunction with an atmosphere primed for growth and success. For more information on their offerings, feel free to visit their website here.
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