The Latest

The gardens represent seven diverse spiritual and religious traditions and the path that links them is a symbol of mutual respect and healing. 

We are excited to welcome group retreats back to GilChrist! Group gatherings of all types have been a hallmark of the hospitality we provide, and over the past two years, we’ve missed the connection and renewal they offer to guests. While solo retreats give much-needed respite from the rigors of daily life, a group retreat […]

Last night we bade an unexpected farewell to Minna, the gentle pony who shared the barn and paddock near Tree of Life with Puck, the goat. After working at a local YMCA camp as a trail pony, she spent her retirement years at GilChrist, greeting guests and graciously accepting treats offered over the fence. Her […]

Dear friends of GilChrist, After another careful discernment process, the GilChrist team has decided to delay the return of group retreats and continue supporting Deep Rest solo retreats through the end of 2021. Over the past several months, we have consulted with our facilitators, our larger organization, other retreat centers, and medical professionals. Reflecting on […]

Dear friends of GilChrist, During the month of October, the extended GilChrist community has observed 25 days of healing in honor of the 25th anniversary of the dedication of GilChrist on October 15, 1995. Together, we’ve logged miles and miles in the labyrinth, as well as hours and hours in silent meditation. We’ve shared both practices and requests for healing, and sent them out into […]

“Paying attention is a form of reciprocity with the living world, receiving the gifts with open eyes and open heart.” —Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants This piece is part of a series offered by the GilChrist team during the month of October, in honor of GilChrist’s […]

This piece is part of a series offered by the GilChrist community during the month of October about practices of healing, in honor of GilChrist’s 25th anniversary on October 15. To me, GilChrist has been a place of true refuge. Every few months, for each of the 18 years I’ve lived in Kalamazoo, I would sink silently into […]

Thanks to Jonathan Brandt, who captured this collection of sounds at GilChrist in the summer of 2016, and offers them in honor of GilChrist’s 25th anniversary on October 15. Jonathan writes, “Thank you for being such a magnificent place of peace and rest and quiet and contemplation. Here’s to another 25 years of peace! Note that these recordings were chopped […]

This piece is part of a series offered by the GilChrist team during the month of October about practices of healing, in honor of GilChrist’s 25th anniversary on October 15. “Nursing is concerned with promoting health, preventing illness, caring for the sick, and restoring health.”          —Jean Watson, Theory of Human Caring In 1860, Florence Nightingale revolutionized healthcare […]

This piece is part of a series offered by the GilChrist team during the month of October about practices of healing, in honor of GilChrist’s 25th anniversary on October 15. Candles have been part of the daily life of our neighborhood since monks came to St. Gregory’s Abbey. Long before the current residents came—hundreds, perhaps thousands […]