May 9-11: All-Parish Retreat

Shrine Mont is an Episcopal camp and conference center in the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia. You can learn all about it via its web site. And you can get travel directions here.

Registration begins at 4PM in the lobby of Virginia House, a massive old victorian hotel on your left as you enter Shrine Mont. Just park and go in to the lobby. 

We'll help you find your lodgings and you can get settled in.

First off, we're committed to welcoming everybody, regardless of circumstance. If you have a financial need, contact Mother Melissa here and she'll work it out with you.

• Standard Double (share a room and bath) @ $225 total, per guest
• Standard Single (private room and bath) @ $305 totsl, per private room
• Children (age 4-13) @ $135 total, per child

Kids under age four are no charge. Kids love Shrine Mont...it is a safe and enriching environment.

Linens and meals are provided. Bring comfortable clothes, medications, a musical instrument or board game or frisbee or book or telescope or pickleball gear (Shrine Mont also has some), but no pets. 

(Pet boarding near Shrine Mont is available here.)

Bring an appetite! Shrine Mont is known for its Southern cooking. Here's the menu:

FRIDAY

DINNER - 5:30 PM

Pork BBQ / Buns

Vegetarian Baked Beans

Coleslaw

Pasta Salad

Broccoli Salad

Corn Casserole

Route 11 Potato Chips

Apple Crunch

Unsweetened Ice Tea, Coffee 

SATURDAY

BREAKFAST - 8:00 AM

Eggs

Bacon

Hash Browns

Toast

Fruit

Yogurt

Assorted Cold Cereal

Orange Juice, Milk,

Coffee, Tea

LUNCH - 12:30 PM

Meatloaf

Mac and Cheese

Zucchini and Tomatoes

Salad

Bread

Homemade Pecan Pie

Unsweetened Ice Tea,

Coffee

DINNER - 5:30 PM

Roast Beef

Mashed Potatoes and

Gravy

Salad

Green Beans

Homemade Yeast Rolls

Fruit and Cookies

Unsweetened Ice Tea,

Coffee

SUNDAY

BREAKFAST - 8:00 AM

Pancakes

Oatmeal

Local Sausage

Baked Apples

Yogurt

Assorted Cold Cereal

Orange Juice, Milk, Coffee, Tea

LUNCH - 12:30 PM

Southern Fried Chicken

Rice and Gravy

Lima Beans

Coleslaw

Biscuits

Ice Cream and Cake

Unsweetened Ice Tea, Coffee 

Vegetarian diets are also accommodated. Just check the box on the registration page for that or any special dietary needs you may have. 

Shrine Mont is on over 1,000 wooded acres. There are hiking trails, a pond, an outdoor shrine, a labyrinth, a field to look at the sky, beautiful sunrises and sunsets, wildlife. It is a GREAT place for introverts.

Yes, we'll have group activities and fellowship, but you'll have plenty of opportunities to recharge...

While you could do a lot of walking if you want to, the campus is handicapped accessible and all core activities are close at hand. Accessible rooms are also available—just check the box on the registration form.

According to Shrine Mont:  

The majority of our rooms are set up for double occupancy—meaning at least two people can stay in a room. There are some situations where you can get more than two in a room via a cot. A good deal of the housing has private bathrooms. There are some instances in some cottages where bathrooms are in the hallway and are shared. If anyone shares a bathroom then it is the double occupancy rate. If someone wants a private room and bathroom then it is a single rate. All the housing we have assigned is down around the Virginia house. You do have some row cottages that have some shared bathrooms in the hallway but you have a lot of rooms with private baths also.

Virginia House is the huge 19th century wooden hotel located at the base of the mountain—with grand wraparound porches on three levels. Around Virginia House are many cottages, where we will be staying.

We'll all be living in a little "St. John's Village" of sorts.

Once all reservations are known, floor plans will be reviewed and specific room assignments will be made. St. John's is responsible for making the room assignments, and we'll work with everybody to make it a good fit!

To see some example floor plans, you can visit shrinemont.com/shrine-mont-map.

From there, click Richmond House (40), Alexandria House (1), Washington House (58), Williamsburg House (59) and click to view floorplans.

You can also see the style of the buildings and can locate the Shrine, labyrinth, pond, hiking trails, pickleball courts, and more.

These are historic buildings—white painted clapboard siding, steel roofs, with porches and big chairs. They are less rustic than a cabin, less refined than a hotel...expect your room to be clean, functional, and quirky!

We apologize that this event is scheduled on Mother's Day weekend. Our reconciliation process required a tight schedule, and this was the weekend where a group of our size could be accommodated. Families needing to return early on Sunday can leave right after the Service of Unity and be back in Central PA by very early afternoon (it is a two-hour drive to Carlisle).

Sure...just let somebody know, so we can accommodate you. 

Neither choir is singing on May 11 to enable maximal attendance at the retreat. We may need your voices for the outdoor service at the Shrine, though!

Sure! Jim and Katherine DiCrocco have been to Shrine Mont for parish retreats when they attended chuch at Grace Episcopal in Alexandria. The Kradels have been to Shrine Mont, as has Lance Perkowski (helping to film the below video). Craig Jurgensen has been there several times. Jason and Nelly Smith and family have been there, and Nelly is happy to speak to young parents about how welcoming the place is for small children!