Household Issues

1)Food:

  1. To ensure we have enough food for your stay, we need your anticipated numbers on Friday, one full week before your arrival. This includes participants, team, adults and kitchen help.
  2. Please let us know of any food allergies we may need to be aware of when you call or email.
  3. Food should be reserved to the dining room area only. Please insist that no food be brought to the dorms, rec hall, group rooms etc as this will attract animals to those areas of the house. This applies to soda and coffee as well.

2)Smoking:

  1. There is NO SMOKING except in the designated smoking area behind the gym, if you choose to allow smoking at all.
  2. We would also encourage you to have an adult visit this area frequently.

3)Supervision:

  1. The basic rule here is that an adult should supervise ALL STUDENTS at all times. Whether in the rec hall, gym, dorms or outside they should always be accompanied by an adult. Retreatants are expected to be with the group for all activities.
  2. Walks to the river etc. should be accompanied by an adult.
  3. Everyone should be in the house by 10:00PM. A reasonable curfew should be set and observed by all.
  4. Slippery floors and stairs are conducive to falls; please ask retreatants to refrain from running in the halls.
  5. The fire place may be used in the rec hall. We ask that the fire be kept small, that no accelerants be used to start the fire, and that the fire be left to burn out naturally when you are finished.

4)Proctors bathrooms (loft):

  1. The two bathrooms in the loft are for the use of the proctor only and should be kept locked. They may be opened at night for night use at the proctors’ discretion.

5)Small groupbreakout rooms:

  1. Following is a list of twelve small group discussion rooms available for use:

Loft Hall A,LoftHall B, Proctors Room, Rec Hall, Arts Crafts Room, Chapel, Rock room, Infirmary, Pumpkin Room, Small Dining Room, Main Dining Room, Brothers Chapel

It is our hope to reserve the small dining room for groups from Holy Rosary, however it is available if needed.

6)Furniture:

  1. Any help in caring for the furniture to prolong its life is appreciated. Dragging it around the house, if not done with care, can cause it to break up. It is always appreciated that you ensure furniture is returned where you found it for the next retreat group to use the house.

7)Linens:

  1. Please encourage your staff to bring their own linens or a sleeping bag for your stay.
  2. If someone needs linens please let us know. At the end of your stay please place the sheets and towel inside the pillow case and leave them in the laundry room behind the Rec Hall and under the Lofts

8)Kitchen Crew:

  1. Most groups bring a few people, or ask groups to take turns as Kitchen Crew to help serve the meals and clean up after them. Our staff can assist if needed but it is appreciated if you can help.
  2. When choosing a kitchen crew for your stay, it is very helpful to us when one of the crew is experienced and can be seen as the crew captain.

9)Heating and Cooling:

  1. The Retreat house is very hard to heat and maintain heat. Please ask keep the windows closed whenever the heat is on in the building.
  2. If it is too hot DO NOT open the windows, let us know and we can turn the thermostats down

10) Candles and wax

  1. Considerations:

Wax drippings are on the rise around the house.

Open flame found left unattended

  1. Suggestions:

Use the Champagnat lantern for the “Christ Candle”.

Use a “tea candle” in a container for the “small group” prayer times.