Mission
The mission of Christ in the Wilderness is to provide an environment that is conducive to silence, prayer and reflection.
Core Values
- Belief in God's impact and effect on each person's life
- Recognition of diverse expressions of individual life journeys
- Acknowledgment of diverse ways to experience solitude
- Maintenance of the natural environment, fostering of the absence of distraction, and respect for the solitude and privacy of each retreatant
About
Christ in the Wilderness (CITW) is a non-denominational hermitage retreat center located west of Chicago in Stockton, Illinois in the beautiful, rolling hills of the Mississippi Valley. We welcome individuals from all backgrounds to spend time alone in a secluded natural environment, nourishing their minds, bodies and spirits.
Our ministry was founded more than 30 years ago on a simple, yet profoundly important idea: that taking periodic breaks from the constant noise and routine distractions of everyday lives is essential to living a balanced life. In CITW’s unique setting, retreatants are able to disconnect from the outside world and reconnect with themselves and with God.
Retreatants discover that being at CITW provides them the freedom to relax, to read, to pray, to take that long walk in nature and, perhaps, to express their artistic selves. It enables them to ponder questions they cannot find time or space to address elsewhere. Oftentimes, as they pause and listen to their deepest wisdom, they begin to understand they have limited time in which to realize their life’s purpose and goals. They reevaluate what is important and no longer choose to put certain things on hold.
Those who spend time in solitude at CITW report that they return to the world renewed and reenergized, experiencing a heightened sense of balance and focus. Indeed, some have been inspired to make significant changes in their lives—their priorities and values, their careers, their relationships and even where they choose to live.
Founding Director: Sister Lorraine Mark, CSJ
Sponsor: Congregation of St. Joseph (LaGrange)
Executive Director: Sr. Julia Bathon, OSF
Spiritual Director: Sr. Julia Bathon, OSF
Board
Chair: Michael Nees
Treasurer: Patrick Koziol
Secretary: Maria Hill, CSJ
Directors: Pat Bonavia; Maureen Clancy, SSND; Mary McAuliffe
History
While on sabbatical, Sister Lorraine Mark, a sister of St. Joseph of La Grange, Illinois, experienced the transforming effects of solitude. She was then inspired to establish a place where others could have the opportunity to experience the riches of spending time alone. In 1980 the newly established Christ in the Wilderness purchased eighty acres of land near Stockton, Illinois. Far enough from town to provide privacy and quiet, the property includes hills, woods and meadows. The environment fosters a quiet and reflective spirit. The first hermitage was built in 1983.
Over the years, additional buildings were constructed as funds became available. Today, Christ in the Wilderness includes three simple hermitages, a small cedar chapel, a gazebo, and a main house, which has a small library and laundry facility for retreatants in addition to living quarters for the Center's Director. Funds for construction come from a small number of donors. Thanks to their generosity, this retreat center exists today for all who value solitude. Hopes for constructing a handicap-accessible hermitage lie in the future.
