The Center for Sacred Art's Gregorian Chant Retreats are held at St. Andrew's House, a retreat center owned by the Episcopalian Diocese of Olympia.
Nestled in the hills overlooking the south end of Hood Canal, St.
Andrew's House, with its panoramic views of the water and the Olympic
Mountains offers a serene and beautiful location for spiritual retreat
and renewal.
The retreat center is completely under one roof, with a Great Room
linking wings containing sleeping rooms, the kitchens, dining room, and
an attached chapel. Originally built as a lodge in the late 1920s, the
building was completely remodeled in 1999.
Between the building's wings is a grassy courtyard, overlooked by
retreatants' rooms. A statue of St. Francis of Assisi is a favorite
focal point. Adjacent to the courtyard is a covered veranda with a huge
fireplace--good for gatherings in any season.
The covered veranda offers an excellent vantage point from which to
enjoy the retreat center's beautiful landscaping.
The parking areas, located above the retreat center, are accessed by a
series of stairs passing through a variety of plantings.
Ramps from the parking area offer an alternative route for the
handicapped, luggage with wheels, and sore knees!
Each bed at St. Andrew's House offers a cheerful handmade quilt.
The Great Room with its numerous sofas and easy chairs attracts small
group conversations and class sessions, as well as individuals' reading
during quiet times. Oriental carpets and Native American blankets add
warmth to the room's traditional log-cabin-style walls and hardwood
floors.
The Great Room's massive stone hearth is another feature inherited from
the original 1928 Lodge building. Two oak staircases on either side of
the Great Room lead to an overhanging balcony and the upper level
sleeping quarters. Sometimes (as seen here) chant retreat teaching
sessions are led in the Great Room.
Retreat participants sing the hours of prayer together in the resonant
and light-filled chapel. The chapel's tile floor provides excellent
acoustics for chant. The chapel features numerous windows
overlooking the forest, and a
large panoramic window onto Hood Canal and the Olympic Mountains
beyond.
The dining room, the site of delicious and healthy meals prepared by
St. Andrew's staff, also takes advantage of the wonderful views with
windows overlooking classic Northwest scenery. Sometimes retreat
teaching sessions are held in the Dining Room, as seen here.
When on breaks, retreatants can explore the gardens, stroll on the
beach, or relax on decks overlooking Hood Canal.
The decks, and porch built in classic lodge style, is another popular
location for study and relaxation.
Near the retreat center are hiking trails leading through restful
woods.
Harmony Hill, the neighboring retreat center immediately adjoining St.
Andrew's House, makes its two labyrinths available to our
retreatants. Here we see two meditators at the center of
the Flower Labyrinth, in late July.
From Harmony Hill's Flower Labyrinth the view towards the southernmost
part of Hood Canal is exquisite.