2025 Assisi pilgrimage retreat
March 20-26th, 2025
Imagine yourself taking in vivid sunsets and unhurriedly walking the sacred streets of Assisi, where the beloved Saints Francis and Clare began their lives of living without grasping.
Let me introduce you to Assisi
A Magical and Sacred Space
Assisi, Italy is a magical and sacred space. From the beauty of the city to the spirit of Saint Francis and Saint Clare that inhabit this ancient land, a reFresh pilgrimage retreat in Assisi will delight your heart and deepen your desire to live as a person of peace in an anxious world.
We’ll stay in an ancient (with modern amenities) monastery right in the center of town. We will spend our mornings retracing some of the steps and recounting some of the heartbeat of Francis and Clare. Afternoons are free to reflect, rest or wander, and evenings we’ll debrief the gentle whispers we sense God is offering to our hearts.
In order to keep the retreat more intimate, we are limiting the space to only 12 people.
What’s the Cost?
The cost of single room is $2300 Early Bird (before Dec 1st, 2024).
The cost for a shared room is $2000 Early Bird (before Dec 1st, 2024)
After Dec 1st, 2024, prices will go up by $350 each.
We will require a $500 non refundable deposit to secure your place. This will go toward your total costs for the trip.
PLEASE NOTE: Air and/or ground transportation to and from Assisi, or while at Assisi (taxis, buses etc) lunch, any extra meals, snacks, historical guided tours by a local, and beverages, are not included.
What To Know
Please peruse the info below for more information about our retreat!
What’s included?
Cost includes 6 nights lodging and tourist tax, 5 full breakfasts (including protein and espresso) & 5 multi-course dinners.
This price also includes bus/taxi fare to our retreat scheduled outings, if we are using them to get to our destination.
You will also receive generous pre-retreat guidance, retreat materials and facilitation, including several guided reflection walks in and around Assisi.
Each morning we'll gather to set our hearts for the day. Then we'll head out to explore Assisi. Lunch and the afternoon are on your own. You can explore, rest or grab a glass of vino rosso & sit for hours journaling with a million dollar view (see pic above!) Before dinner each night, we'll gather to share how God has been stirring our hearts and lives.
Who’s it for?
This retreat is for anyone who is longing for a spacious and sacred place in which to gently catch up to your soul.
It's for anyone longing to be refreshed in your calling of belovedness: For any and all who long to live as a person of peace or maybe just have a wee bit more peace in your own heart.
It's for anyone who is longing to live more steadfastly by following in the footsteps of Jesus in Gospel living (which is what Francis longed for).
It's for anyone who is curious to learn more about St. Francis and St. Clare and how their faith lives might impact and inspire our own in the fragmentation and stresses of our own modern lives.
We will be staying with le suore (the Sisters) at Casa Madonna della Pace. It is located just below the main piazza in Assisi and the front door is on the street that Francis would've run back and forth on to go to his childhood friend, Bernardo's, house. Bernardo would become Francis' first follower, or “gift” as Francis preferred to call them.
We are also a stone's throw from the square where Francis disrobed and near his childhood home. And just beyond the main piazza is Clare's childhood home and the church that now houses the San Damiano Cross.
And don't worry, a gelato shop (or 3) is also not far away!
You seriously don't want to miss being in the presence of these amazing souls!
Where are we staying?
Paula Gamble-Grant has been inviting people to slow their souls for more than twenty years. As an international retreat leader and speaker, Spiritual Director and author, Paula lives into the rhythms and values of Saint Francis and Clare. She longs to be a joyful herald of God's Extravagant Love with whomever she’s with.
Paula fell in love with Assisi the first time she went there (and for only 36 hours!) and continues to return every chance she gets. She has been practicing Franciscan spirituality for almost 25 years.
Sam Mielbrecht and Paula have been friends for nearly 40 years since college. Sam loves meeting people and delights in welcoming each person she encounters to discover the uniqueness of who they are. In over thirty years of ministry she has held a variety of roles from leading women’s ministries to traveling and living internationally to companioning and learning from others in a variety of contexts.
Sam is delighted to return to Assisi to help introduce people to connect more deeply with God and their souls through the lives and stories of Clare and Francis. And if you want a pal to get gelato with, she’s your gal!
Your Retreat Hosts
What can I expect?
Please read the information below to learn about more of what to expect for our time together.
Regarding payments
The balance of the Early Bird payment is due before December 1, 2024.
Any balance of Regular Rate payment is due no later than Jan 31, 2025.
There are no refunds after these dates.
It is advisable to purchase travel insurance to protect against emergency situations (once you register, you’ll have access to insights on travel with lots of details on obtaining tickets, traveling and getting travel insurance). We have several people who have thanked us for this advice.
The $500 deposit is an administrative fee that secures your space in this small pilgrimage and is nonrefundable. This money contributes toward your final cost. There are no exceptions to the refund policy. The balance of the program fee is due by the dates mentioned above and we will send you an invoice re: your final payment once you let us know your preferred payment.
When you register for the Assisi reFresh retreat, you are committing to the following requirements:
Regarding Entry to Italy
You will need a passport to travel to Italy. U.S. citizens can visit for up to six months on an automatic travel visa. EU citizens can enter visa-free. And your passport must NOT expire for 6 months after our retreat. If you are not traveling from the US or the EU, then you are responsible for checking with your local embassy for requirements. Please let us know if you need help with any documents to secure your visa or entry.
We are aware of forthcoming EU entry requirements for non-EU citizens (ETIAS). As of this posting, the application is not yet live. This will take about 10 minutes and 95% of applications will be accepted.
Regarding transportation to/from Assisi
You acknowledge that reFresh is not providing transportation for you from the airport to Assisi nor back. You'll have to find a way - and we'll provide you with lots of options to help you plan.
We think it’s wonderful that many people who come on our retreats plan to visit other places in Italy and/or Europe before arriving. We suggest that you plan your sightseeing before coming on retreat.
Regarding the physical demands of this retreat
Assisi, like most ancient cities in Italy, is built on the side of the hill. You can get around Assisi on public bus and with a taxi (sort of, but not ideally). Most of what we will do together requires walking - mostly on inclines, cobblestones and uneven steps and stairs.
We will be walking to/from the accommodations for most of our daily meditations. (Even the closest bus is almost 1/2 mile away).
You must be able to walk two to four hours (and up to 2-4 miles) per day. These walks are an important part of our experience, so please be as realistic as possible in assessing your fitness to participate.
By registering you agree that you are mobile enough to participate in the outings. (Please reach out if you have any concerns).
Regarding participation
This journey together on retreat will allow plenty of time for self-reflection, but also has daily times of gathering together. We will be cultivating a welcoming and non-judgmental space to listen and/or to share what God is stirring in our hearts.
By registering, you agree that you will participate in our group gatherings.
SUMMARY - you’ll see this again when we register you:
By registering, you are indicating that you are of sound mind and body, that you understand the physical, financial and participation requirements and are willing to support the collective welcoming atmosphere of our group experience before, during and after this retreat.
During the retreat with Paula we would walk each day to significant places where St Francis & St Clare did their own heart work with life questions. As we stood in those spaces, Paula gently invited us into our own journey of the heart.
Walking in those same spaces was as if these saints from a millennia ago were guiding me in my personal sojourn of the soul into God’s love, my identity and my calling.
~ John Rygh
What others are saying
The time in Assisi was incredible; from the beautiful cobbled streets, lined with flowers and enlightening history to the peaceful, welcoming environment created by the nuns at the monastery.
Each day Paula offered gentle guidance; an unhurried invitation to come, as you can, not as you can't, as you are, not as you think you should be, to Jesus and let him come for you in his love and healing grace.
What I personally received is impossible to explain, you just have to experience it.
~Sheri Onishi
When I think of my time in Assisi I just take a breath. It felt so refreshing in a way that I’ve never experienced in a faith environment before. There was a deepening in my connection to God, but also in a connection to me. I felt so connected and integrated. It was just a space to come and be as you are and to feel welcomed and wanted.
~Chelsea Thomas
I didn’t know much about Francis or Clare before coming - I knew he liked animals. But I learned a lot in a depth I didn’t anticipate. This time in Assisi really helped me take a deeper look at myself, including in some places of struggle in my faith. I really found God met me there, in a way I couldn’t have prepared for and didn’t expect.
This retreat gave me grace and compassion and space to ask questions. I really enjoyed soaking in the reverence of the place, as well as the playfulness.
~Mark Thomas
FAQs
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No (which is the same in English and Italian).
Assisi is a tourist town and almost any merchant, taxi driver or person who lives there can speak decent English.
Not all of the sisters at Casa Madonna Della Pace speak English, but they will have people to help us.
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We are asking you to buy trip insurance that will cover the cancellation costs of this retreat, should you have to cancel. Trust us, others have thanked us for encouraging this whether it was lost luggage or lost trip.
If you cancel after January 31st, 2025, we will not be able to refund your payment. Hence, get good travel insurance and purchase it before Jan. 31st.
We will help point you in the direction of where/how to obtain that.
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We are not providing group transportation to/from the airport.
Most people coming from the US fly into Rome (usually cheaper than Florence) then take a train to Assisi and then from the Assisi train station hail a taxi to our lodging (the taxi will drop you right by the door).
All travel arrangements including flights and/or buses, trains, and taxis are to be made by you.
We WILL provide you with a lot of info of how to best do that once you register.
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Several people have combined this retreat with visiting other parts of Italy - there's so much to see.
You might consider coming to Italy earlier to see Rome or Florence, then making your way to retreat. That way you'll have your jet-lag before arriving.And you'll have gotten some of the hustle bustle of touristy travel out of the way.
If you want to stay longer in Assisi, just let us know and we can inquire if the place we're staying will have room for you. There are also Airbnbs in Assisi that look pretty cool! You will be responsible to pay for any additional costs outside of your retreat reservation with us.
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Sì (yes!)
It's a good way to get that daily calcium in! And there are several places close by.
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Sorry, no. The Early Bird payment is due in full by Dec 1st, 2024. Note, that the $500 non refundable downpayment will contribute toward your full cost.
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As already mentioned before, Assisi does take some stamina for walking. There are cobblestone streets and lots of uneven stairs. Most of our daily meditations are walking between 1-4 miles. You CAN get taxis and take buses to take you to some of the sights - but sometimes you even have to walk to catch those.
There IS an elevator in our accommodations that is helpful!
If you'd like to have a discussion about this, then please reach out to us
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Great! Invite your partner or a friend!
Otherwise, we will not be pairing people for shared rooms.
When you register you will have to tell us who you'd like to room with - and I'm SURE you have a friend who'd love to join you!
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Sì! (yes!)
Well, at least at our colazione (breakfast) and cena (dinner) in our accommodations. You'll have to scout that out if you eat outside of our place.
Casa Madonna Della Pace can accomodateGluten Free
Vegetarian
Vegan
Food intolerances (dairy, shellfish, etc)
We will collect this info and pass it along to them before we arrive. Please note that if you order a special type of meal, you will have to eat that. Also, many GF people have discovered that most of the breads/pastas in Italy do not have the same impact as those made in the U.S.A.
