Contemplative Retreat for Women 2026

Sunday, July 19 - Saturday, July 25, 2026
Facilitator(s): Barb Cathey, Deborah DeManno, Jomarie Zielke, CSA, Patti Essig, Susan Seeby
cover graphic for a silent retreat in Racine, Wisconsin

Overview

Description

This silent retreat for women will call together wisdom from many of the world’s spiritual resources to renew, enrich, and inspire us to be an awakened people in a world that needs our love and action.

You are invited to a week of inner discovery and replenishment through morning reflection, evening rituals, one-on-one spiritual guidance, embodied prayer, gentle yoga, centering prayer, and abundant time for silent reflection and exploration of Siena’s beauty and resources.

During registration you will be asked to indicate your first and second preference for the spiritual guide who will accompany you throughout the retreat. We do our very best to honor these preferences. If we are unable to place you with your first or second choice, a staff member of the retreat center will reach out to you.

Dates and Details
Sunday, July 19 – Saturday, July 25, 2026
The retreat begins at 3:30pm on Sunday and concludes with the noon meal on Saturday.

The cost of this retreat is $890 which includes spiritual guidance appointments, overnight accommodations and meals.
A non-refundable, non-transferrable deposit of $150 is required to hold your space.

New for the 2025-2026 program year: We are offering a voluntary three-level registration fee structure for our sponsored retreats in order to support both accessibility and sustainability of our retreat ministry. For more information on our three-level registration fee structure, visit our Frequently Asked Questions page. Due to technical limitations, we are unable to create level pricing for retreats with a deposit. The current cost for this retreat ($890) reflects our Partner Level. We encourage participants who are able to contribute more to make a donation in the registration page to help us cover more fully all of our operational costs related to this retreat.

Registration Information
You may register and pay online by clicking the yellow “Register Here” button above, by calling the Registrar at (262) 898-2582 with a credit card number, or by mailing a check made out to Siena Retreat Center to 5637 Erie Street, Racine, WI 53402. Payment must be received to complete registration. Please see our FAQ page for our cancellation policies and other helpful information.

If cost is a barrier for you to participate, you are invited to complete our Scholarship Request Form. While we cannot guarantee that all requests can be fully accommodated, and we do ask that you contribute a portion of the fee, we will do our best to assist as many participants as possible within our available resources.

 

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About the Facilitators

Barb CatheyBarb Cathey

Barbara Cathey is a Presbyterian minister, spiritual director, retreat leader, wife, mother of two children, and proud grandmother of a delightful toddler. She experiences all life as Spirit-infused and filled with abundant grace.

Deborah DeMannoDeborah DeManno

Deborah DeManno is a spiritual guide, retreat facilitator, amateur photographer, and retired research scientist with a PhD in biology. She is a graduate of Siena Retreat Center’s Spiritual Guidance Training Program.

Jomarie Zielke, CSAJomarie Zielke, CSA

Jomarie Zielke, CSA, is a sister of St. Agnes of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Her background includes nursing education and clinical nursing, including maternal/child care in Nicaragua. Jomarie is a graduate of Siena Retreat Center’s Spiritual Guidance Training Program. She assisted in starting one-on-one spirituality services at CORE-el Centro, a non-profit organization offering affordable wellness services in Spanish and English in Milwaukee. Jomarie has also served in leadership roles in her religious community.

Patti EssigPatti Essig

Patti Essig is a spiritual guide, yoga instructor, and Veriditas Certified Labyrinth Facilitator. She operates Yoga Energy Studio and is a practitioner of Soaring Crane QiGong.

Susan SeebySusan Seeby

Susan Seeby, CSA, is a spiritual guide and retreat facilitator who focuses on accompanying the seeker in deep listening and discerning the movement of the Spirit within. She holds a masters’ degree in Christian Spirituality, with a Certificate in Spiritual Direction, from Creighton University. Her twenty years as a Spiritual Guide have included being on teams for silent directed retreats, and being the director of women’s and men’s facilitated retreats with many different themes and foci, which have brought an inner appreciation of God’s constant response to our seeking.