My name is Margo, and I have made five Cloisters retreats.
I like to say I’m a cradle-to-college Catholic. Religion has always been part of my life—but it’s been the retreats that have brought me back to my faith, again and again. From Christ Renews His Parish to Kairos retreats, and now here, at the Cloisters on the Platte, these sacred pauses have helped me realign with what matters most – being a daughter of God.
There are seasons of giving and seasons of receiving. And when you make a Cloisters retreat, you may find yourself in a season of receiving—receiving rest, reflection and peace in the silence. A deep breath in a world that rarely gives us one.
Everything we want to last requires care, commitment, and investment —our homes, our marriages, our faith.
And the Cloisters is no different. The Cloisters exists—and endures—because someone before you gave generously. Someone believed this experience mattered. That you would come. That you needed a place like this.
What to give and how much may feel overwhelming, but the good news is: God delights in the ordinary- babies, salt, water, and bread. He works through it—And it’s the same with your gift. It doesn’t have to be grand. Even something small becomes holy when it’s given with love.
For me, giving monthly is one way I honor what this place has meant to me. I give enough to cover the cost of my stay. My gratuity. I also give a little more to help pave the way for someone else. It’s a quiet, ordinary way of saying thank you. It’s also on autopay. So that’s helpful!
What I give and how may look different and that’s ok! Your harvest may be different than mine. I just hope you consider donating in a way that also expresses your gratuity. Because this space, this silence, this transformative grace—it doesn’t just happen. We create it. Together.
Maybe, you’re in a season where you’re able to give more—an extraordinary gift. If that’s on your heart, know that it matters. It allows the Cloisters to reach further and welcome more into this sacred space.
So, as you contemplate how you give – remember the ordinary you experience while on retreat. The crinkly sheets, the unique oatmeal, the rare treat of finishing a cup of coffee while it’s still hot, sharing Cloisters bread at the table.
And remember the extraordinary: The hushing saint at the chapel doors. The breaking of bread. The space between Mary and Jesus’s hand. The natural beauty. The architecture, the art. The sacred stillness. The sacred silence.
These moments are gifts. Let them resound in your season of receiving—and when the time comes, in your own season of giving, may your ordinary gift help sustain the extraordinary.
Thank you.