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Hybrid- When the Heart Is Touched: The Ancient Monastic Method of Lectio Divina

Location icon
500 College Street NE Lacey, Washington 98516
Users icon
Up to 10 in group
Date
July 18, 2026

Retreat Highlights

  • Times for solitary
  • Individual lectio practice
  • Time for questions and group sharing of the experience.

About this Retreat

Your Guides

Details of this retreat

In this workshop we will explore and practice the method of Lectio Divina as practiced by the desert Fathers and Mothers and monastics throughout the centuries. The emphasis will be on individual, rather than group, practice. Our time together will include short presentations by the facilitator, times for solitary, individual lectio practice and a time for questions and group sharing of the experience. This workshop is for anyone interested in the practice of Lectio Divina as well  as being designed to be especially helpful for beginners, those seeking to renew or fine tune  their practice, and those who are practicing but don’t feel they really ‘get it’.  Bibles in a variety of translations will be available for you to borrow for the day though you are welcome to bring your own or any other sacred or devotional text you would like to use.

Getting Here

Location icon St. Placid Priory, 500 College Street NE Lacey, Washington 98516

Directions

Traveling north from Portland, on I-5:
Take Exit 109
Turn left onto Martin Way at end of exit
Stay in the far right lane
Turn right at second light onto
College Street NE
Turn right at St. Placid sign
(second possible right turn)

Traveling south from Seattle, on I-5:
Take Exit 109
Turn right onto Martin Way at end of exit
Stay in the far right lane
Turn right at the light onto
College Street NE
Turn right at St. Placid sign
(second possible right turn)

Accommodation

We have ten retreat bedrooms, most of which are equipped with two twin beds. The rooms may be shared if you are coming with a friend or partner, but generally there is just one person per room. Our building is set back among the trees so the rooms stay fairly cool. There is heat in each room for the colder nights. Each room has a sink, mirror, chair, desk, and small closet area. Towels and linens are provided, but please bring your own toiletries. Bathrooms are shared and showers are available. Retreatants are welcome to join the Sisters for Mass, Praise, and meals. There is wi-fi available in the Priory Library from 8:30am-8:00pm everyday. The Priory Store is also open on Fridays and Saturdays. Plenty of walking trails wind around the Priory's property and are open to retreatants. Spiritual Direction is available upon request at an additional charge.

Program Price
Program & Lunch

Venue & Amenities

Venue & Amenities
A/C in Rooms icon A/C in Rooms
Free Wifi icon Free Wifi
Spa icon Spa
Sauna icon Sauna
Pool icon Pool
Towels icon Towels
Free Parking icon Free Parking
Kitchen icon Kitchen
Tour Assistance icon Tour Assistance
Hot Tub icon Hot Tub
Coffee/Tea icon Coffee/Tea
Cafe icon Cafe
Restaurant icon Restaurant
Fitness Center icon Fitness Center
Yoga Studio icon Yoga Studio
Housekeeping icon Housekeeping
Bicycles For Rent icon Bicycles For Rent
The Priory Spirituality Center is an ecumenical Christian ministry that encourages those of all faiths to discern the voice of God in their lives and in the world. A ministry of St. Placid Priory we reflect Benedictine values: peace, hospitality, community, learning and prayerful discernment.

We offer a peaceful and contemplative setting for personal reflection. We encourage and challenge people to know the presence of God in their lives through classes, workshops, retreats and individual spir

Meals

Menu Types

On-your-own breakfast: Center Kitchen. Eggs, milk, bread, cereal, fruit provided. Your own food welcome, may be cooked in Kitchen. Lunch/Dinner served, main dish+salad bar. Sun coffee hour after Mass

What's Included

  • Lectio Divina as practiced by the desert Fathers and Mothers and monastics throughout the centuries

Customer Reviews

4.85 out of 5.0 average rating

5.0
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Perfect Quiet Place
I experience deep peace each time I stay at the Priory Spirituality Center. Knowing there have been prayers before me and will be prayers after me settles my heart-mind-body as I enter the time I have to "retreat." From the trails to the prayer times to encountering the sisters and staff, I know that God is present in all.
My room, every time I've stayed, has a warmth of spirit and cleanliness. It is a portal for encountering what God has for me. Thank you to all who make it an inviting place to find restoration that fills my soul.
Mary P.

4.0
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Sweet Serenity
Drove up from Oregon. Stayed at St. Placid overnight to attend a visiting Theologians teaching on Contemplative Prayer in Nature. It was enriching. Being able to learn, grow, walk the Forrest, contemplate, pray in the presence of nature was phenomenal. The silent stay ministered to my whole body. It was just what I needed. The other guest was friendly and respectful of quiet. The Sisters were kind and welcoming. Purchased some good books at their shop. A tranquil experience. I will be attending again in the future.

5.0
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A beautiful place to unwind and listen
The hospitality is spectacular. The location is stunningly peaceful and quiet. The food is world-class, some of the best pizza I've ever had.

5.0
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A Nourishing One-Night Retreat
Saint Placid Priory offered me exactly what I was looking for: genuine welcome, beauty, and the gift of being held in a rhythm not my own.

The retreat center sits in a beautiful wooded setting, and my room — simple, with two single beds and a sink, looking out on a quiet cluster of trees — was more than enough. Centralized restrooms and showers were spotless.

The food was outstanding. The chef took my dietary restrictions (gluten-free, dairy-free, and several vegetable sensitivities) seriously and with evident care — every meal was genuinely delicious, not merely compliant.

You can choose to eat with the sisters, and that is a delight: they live the Benedictine rule of welcoming all as Christ, and you feel it.

Joining the sisters for prayer was grounding. Their modern chapel carries a real sense of peace, and the rhythm of the liturgy of the hours offered an anchor for the day. The library, open to all visitors, is extensive and inviting; and beautiful art is woven throughout the retreat center and priory — present without being decorative, as if it belongs to the prayer.

I came away rested. For anyone seeking a quiet, well-tended space for reflection, I recommend Saint Placid without reservation.

5.0
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Perfect for a private retreat
If you are interested in having a quiet contemplative private retreat, then St. Placid Priory is the place to visit. It is in a peaceful setting that is great for refreshing and calming the soul. Nothing fancy, but everything that one needs for a personal retreat. All the staff is friendly and helpful. A highlight for me was participating in the celebration of the hours and eating with the sisters.

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