6 Day Silent Retreat

20-26th February 2027

Magnificat Retreat Center, Featherston

6 Day silent, guided retreat in a quiet rural setting

Time: Saturday 20th of February 4pm to Friday 26th 1pm

Cost: $789

($50 non-refundable deposit with registration, balance due before 20th of January)

Retreat team: Judith Wigglesworth, Jo Anastasiadis and Sam Bate

A six day, silent, directed retreat in a peaceful rural setting at the eastern end of the Rimutaka Incline walkway. Each day includes morning reflection, evening prayer, a daily spiritual direction session, and plenty of space for your own reflection, including the use of various art materials including paint, clay, and collage. Everyone has a single room to themselves, with shared bathrooms. There are two large communal areas and a small prayer room also available. The retreat is fully catered and linen is included.

Silence
This retreat is silent from after evening prayer on Saturday night until Friday lunchtime, excluding spiritual direction. Also, there may be the option of responsive opportunities during group prayer times. It can be profound to realise at the end of the week that the only words spoken all week outside of spiritual direction are words of corporate prayer.

Each day includes:

Morning Reflection and optional other resources for the day

Evening Prayer to close each day

Daily spiritual direction session (30 mins)

Plenty of space for your own reflection

This retreat is fully silent from 8.30pm Saturday to Friday lunchtime

Art materials will be available

Magnificat Retreat Center

Venue: Magnificat Retreat Center, close to Featherston.

Address: 60A Cross Creek Road, Western Lake, 5773

The Magnificat Community is a Catholic Lay Community based at Cross Creek Farm in the Wairarapa. Their 60 acre community farm provides a rural retreat where people can come to be spiritually nourished. It is a place of peace where individuals and groups can take time out from their everyday lives to reflect, enjoy the rural environment and deepen their relationship with God.

Optional Working Bee Day

The Retreat Team are also coordinating a working bee with Magnificat. Our hope is to bless Magnificat and say thank you to them for all the years of hospitality they have offered us. We will be gardening around their venue on the Saturday 20th February – the day the retreat begins. The working bee will start from 8:30am and run till 2pm, with a break for lunch.

For those staying for the retreat there is the option of staying the Friday night 19th of February 2027, or those helping with the working bee can come out early on the Saturday.

Please note that if you do stay Friday night you are committing to the working bee on Saturday.
There will be a koha collected for the cost for Friday night and for lunch on Saturday. You will need to self-cater your own breakfast on Saturday morning as well as Friday dinner. Hot drinks provided.

Register to this retreat

Contact: Jo Anastasiadis or (04) 384 4991 for registration and questions
Deadline for registration: 29th of January 2027 unless the retreat becomes full beforehand.

After registration, we will e-mail you with a more detailed form. Your registration for the retreat is not confirmed until the non-refundable deposit is paid and the form is returned.

Please note that this retreat fills up quickly at times. A wait list will be established should there be cancellations.

Applying for a grant: We are very grateful for a grant from Longview Trust, that enables us to offer this retreat at a significant discount this year.

We are also grateful to Wallis Trust who offer a grant of up to a maximum of $200 per retreatant every two years.

If you are in financial hardship and would like to apply for a grant from the Wallis Trust for your retreat, please contact us.

The deadline for applying for a Wallis Trust grant for this retreat is 13^th Dec 2026