Parish weekend at Shrine Mont

Is Shrine Mont for you? A reflection by Emily Krudys | Read it here.

Each summer, St. Stephen's holds a weekend retreat at Shrine Mont, the Diocese of Virginia's camp and conference center in the mountains northwest of Harrisonburg. This all-ages weekend is for individuals, couples and families, adults and children.

Shrine Mont is such a relaxing and hospitable place, all feel welcome whether they've been coming for years or are there for the first time. Those who want time away for silence and reflection will find it. Those who want a place where their children can take part in games and activities while enjoying greater freedom than is possible at home will find it. Those who want time and space to reconnect with family and friends will find it.

Once you arrive, you can do as much or as little as you desire. Activities, including a Christian education program, are organized for Friday night, after dinner, and Saturday morning. After lunch Saturday, you may choose your own leisure activities, from hikes to tennis, to swimming, to reading, to napping, to walking Shrine Mont's labyrinth, to conversations with others. Saturday evening activities bring everyone together. A bonfire, a hayride, a dance might be on tap. Our Sunday morning worship service is held at the outdoor cathedral, a natural setting offering a unique sense of God’s presence.

Everyone who experiences Shrine Mont acquires lasting memories that bring them back again and again. With a church the size of St. Stephen’s, attending the parish weekend at Shrine Mont helps both new members and longtime ones connect and reconnect, forming relationships that last.

Costs in 2011 (including room, meals and program) were as follows; we anticipate that costs for 2012 will be similar.

Adults--$145 per person/double occupancy ($165 per person/single occupancy)
Children--$90 per person (ages 8-12); $45 per person (ages 4-7); $ 5 per person (under age 4)

The 2011 brochure can be downloaded to view or print here. More information about the 2012 retreat will be available in the spring. Tentative dates are Friday, June 22-Sunday, June 24, 2012.

To learn more about Shrine Mont, visit the conference center's Web site.