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FAQ

Click on the Frequently Asked Question of your choice to learn more. If you need additional information, please contact us either by phone at 920-231-9060 or email us at office@jesuitretreathouse.org. It would be a blessing to hear from you.

Weekend Preached Retreats for men and/or women of all faiths offer preached conferences each day based on the dynamics of Ignatian spirituality. The weekend includes daily Mass, periods for private reflection and devotions, spiritual direction, and reconciliation and healing services. Silence is maintained between individuals so that each retreatant has time and space to connect deeply with God.

Couples' Weekend Preached Retreat offers daily conferences centered on spirituality for married couples. There is time scheduled after conferences twice a day to be used by each couple to discuss and pray together upon what they heard and experienced during those conferences. In addition to Mass, reflection time, spiritual direction, and healing services, there are also "date" activities built in to encourage couples to connect with each other.

12-Step AA/Al-Anon Recovery Weekend Preached Retreats are grounded in the 12-Steps. The weekend includes the various activities listed in the traditional weekend preached retreat section and includes an opportunity for a 12-Step meeting.

5-Day & 8-Day Summer Directed Retreats offer NO group conferences. Each individual retreatant is assigned a personal spiritual director (may be a priest, religious sister or layperson) who they may meet with daily. Summer directed retreats include daily Mass, private reflection and devotions as well as reconciliation and healing services. Massage Therapy available during several of the summer directed retreats for an additional fee paid directly to the massage therapist. Please indicate on the registration form your request.

All of our retreats are silent.

No. All faiths and denominations are welcome.

No. We welcome couples of all faiths who are married, engaged, or seriously considering engagement/marriage. Marriage is a lifelong commitment and it is entirely appropriate to want to make a retreat with your husband- or wife-to-be in order to learn more about the role of God and spirituality in marriage. Many couples who attend this weekend continue to make the retreat throughout the years to help them to reconnect at different stages of their marriage.

Retreat Registration Windows
  • September 30, 2022 - registration open for January - May 2023 retreats
  • January 1, 2023 - registration open for summer 2023 retreats
  • May 1, 2023 - registration open for September - December 2023 retreats

Online registration is available 24/7. Please click here to login to your existing account or to create a new account – if you have never registered online in the past.

Register by mail. please use the form found either on the retreats web page (Downloadable Files listing) or printed in our retreat schedule booklet. Mail in the form with your non-refundable, non-transferable $75 per person (weekend preached retreats) or $125 per person (summer directed retreats) reservation deposit/gift to:

Jesuit Retreat House
4800 Fahrnwald Road
Oshkosh, WI 54902

Please note that we accept reservations with the room deposit based upon the date we receive the registration and deposit.

We accept American Express, Discover, Master Card, and Visa credit cards.

Your confirmation will be mailed after office processing. Please allow 5 business days.

Please click here on Suggested Offering which will show you our suggested retreat offering levels which includes the room reservation deposit/gift.

Retreatants may arrive and check-in any time after 3:00 pm on the retreat start day. If you need to make special arrival dates/times, please contact the office either by phone 920-231-9060 or by email at office@jesuitretreathouse.org.

Weekend, 12-step, and couples' retreats begin with dinner on Thursday evening at 7:00 p.m. and close on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. after lunch. The first evening of a summer directed retreat begins with a 5:00 p.m. social, with dinner at 6:00 p.m. Holy week retreats begin on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. and end Saturday after lunch at 1:00 p.m.

Yes, the Manresa wing offers 60 handicapped compliant/accessible retreatant rooms with private bathrooms.

No, each retreatant will have his or her own room in the Manresa wing which offers 60 handicapped compliant/accessible retreatant rooms with private bathrooms.

No. If you need to make a phone call, please stop at the Office and you will be directed to an available phone. You may give the retreat house number for emergencies. We will get any messages to you.

Yes. In the interest of allowing all retreatants to immerse themselves fully in retreats, we discourage the use of cell phones in the retreat house. When a phone rings, it distracts others who are trying to pray. If you will be bringing your cell phone into the house, please be sure that your ringer is turned off. Cell phone calls should not be made from anywhere in the retreat house, including the private bedrooms and the grounds surrounding the house, as talking disrupts the silence that is a valued part of the retreat experience. If you must make a cell phone call, please do so from inside your car in the parking lot. This way you will not interrupt the experience for others.

One set of towels is provided. Bed linens are provided. An extra blanket and pillow are in the dresser in each room.

No, there is a bible in each room.

Yes, the Manresa Retreatant Wing, LaStorta Conference Center, as well as the main St. Ignatius chapel, Loyola lounge and dining room, offer central air-conditioning & heating throughout.

Jesuit Retreat House is a smoke-free facility. However, you may smoke outside of the buildings.

The Fr. Perry Roets, S.J. Memorial Walkway meanders along the lakeshore where It is safe to walk or jog on the grounds and surrounding area roads. There are benches, swings, and the Casey's Crossing aframe bridge along the walk-way as well. Bicycles are available seasonally. An exercise room and art studio are open 24/7. During the spring, summer and fall seasons, you may fish along Lake Winnebago, and in the winter, retreatants may bring cross country skis. Lawn chairs are available seasonally.

Dress is casual, but should be appropriate. Shoes or sandals should be worn in the house. We have four seasons and it is recommended to dress for the time of year you will be here.

We have notebooks, and basic toiletries available. Ask in the office if you need something - we will do our best to get it for you.

For special dietary needs, call the JRH chef at 920-231-9060, prior to retreat and he will work with you to meet your needs. We offer a refrigerator & freezer in the lounge adjacent to the dining room for personal items. Please mark them.

You may make out your non-refundable, non-transferable registration gift check to: Jesuit Retreat House.

Feel free to contact the Jesuit Retreat House office either by phone at 920-231-9060 or Toll Free (WI ONLY) 800-962-7330 or email at office@jesuitretreathouse.org with any remaining questions you may have.

Masking

When Winnebago County is at a low or medium COVID-19 Community Level, JRH will not have a general mask requirement. Because that level may change, continue to be prepared to mask when at JRH. (Masks must cover the nose and mouth and fit snugly against the sides of your face and under the chin.) Our masking policy will be communicated upon arrival at JRH and will remain in place for the duration of the retreat.

Anyone is welcome to mask at any time. Masking is advised for people at high risk of severe illness.

Vaccinations

The CDC advises staying up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccines. Being up-to-date means a person has received all recommended COVID-19 vaccines, including any booster dose(s) when eligible.

In its commitment to offer the Spiritual Exercises in a safe environment, JRH strongly recommends being fully vaccinated against COVID-19. As Pope Francis says, vaccination is a simple but profound way of caring for each other. Echoing this sentiment, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has stated: "Being vaccinated safely against COVID-19 should be considered an act of love of our neighbor and part of our moral responsibility for the common good."

Social Distancing

The Jesuit Retreat House has resumed whole group gatherings. This includes Masses, reconciliation and healing services, and dining. Our gatherings are planned for fully-vaccinated people and do not ensure social distancing. The CDC recommends social distancing for unvaccinated people and those at increased risk for severe illness, or who live with or spend time with someone at higher risk.

Symptomatic, Exposure, & Positive Tests

People with a current positive test for COVID-19 are asked to stay home and reschedule their retreat for a time when they are certain that they are COVID-free. People with COVID-19 symptoms or recent exposure to someone with COVID-19 must wear a mask when indoors or around others. Please get tested for COVID-19 if you are symptomatic or were recently exposed to COVID-19.

If you are diagnosed with COVID-19 within 5 days of your retreat, please promptly inform JRH. If a guest or employee contracts COVID-19, JRH will inform retreatants who were exposed.

Additional Precautions

JRH further encourages common health/hygiene practices: wash your hands frequently; use hand sanitizer, especially when entering the serving line for meals and before accessing the snack area; cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, or use the inside of your elbow; and, if you are sick or feeling ill, please stay home and care for your health.

A basic level of sanitizing will be done on-site by staff. If more is desired, bring the medical and/or sanitizing items you need to feel comfortable and safe during your stay.