Manresa House of Retreats is located on the banks of the Mississippi River in Convent, La., midway between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. The retreat center is blessed with some of the most beautiful grounds the South has to offer. Lined with mature oak trees and flawless landscaping, the 130-acre campus shows off historic and picturesque buildings dating from the early 19th century.
The Jesuits purchased the historic property in 1931 as the site for a retreat house. Updates to the property include the recently renovated chapel, where daily Mass is celebrated during retreats.
Manresa offers three-day preached retreats for men only, made in silence and offered every weekend except for the last weekend of the year. Each retreat begins Thursday night and ends Sunday afternoon. Additionally, each year six “mid-week retreats” are offered, which run from Sunday night through Wednesday afternoon.
An assigned retreat director preaches 11 retreat conferences (or “talks”) over the course of the three days, with each conference lasting around 30 minutes. A staff of trained Jesuit priests is also available for individual conferences. Daily Mass is offered in the renovated chapel, and other devotions and activities are provided to fill out the weekend. Meals are available in the spacious Xavier Hall dining area three times a day.
