ST. JOSEPH — Megan Pavek wanted to get away from it all — the daily grind, the stress of city life — and so she did ... by returning to her alma mater. The 24-year-old works for the state and lives in St. Paul; the St. Benedict oblate graduated from the College of St. Benedict in 2005 with a degree in environmental studies. “I was looking for some time for reflection and solitude — just to be with God,” Pavek said. She recently stayed several days at the Subiaco Hermitage at St. Benedict’s Monastery in St. Joseph.

The public hermitage on the monastery grounds overlooks quiet fields and woods, with several walking paths perfect for getting in touch with nature or exploring one’s place in the world. “It was very relaxing. I could watch the sunrise and sunset every day. And the orientation of the hermitage’s windows made you feel connected to the outdoors, even when inside,” she said. Pavek did yoga and wrote in her journal during her $45-a-day stay at the log cabin. “I thought it was very affordable and was actually given a little bit of a scholarship, so I could stay there an extra day,” said Pavek, who made her own meals in the cozy kitchenette. “The one thing that I found challenging was the complete silence. I did find moments where I was restless ... so it was a little bit of a challenge to channel that energy.”

 

There are few distractions at the hermitage. You can’t smoke. There is no television, phone or stereo. Guests are discouraged from having visitors.“It would kind of defeat the purpose to have visitors if you are there to be alone, but we can’t regulate that,” said Sister Dorothy Manuel, directory of the monastery’s Spirituality Center.The Subiaco Hermitage is 15 feet by 24 feet, not including its enclosed porch. It was built in Long Prairie by an Eagle Bend-based company.

 

“I really appreciated the sisters’ hospitality — the way they welcomed me,” Pavek said of the hermitages, which were built in honor of the monastery’s sesquicentennial. Construction on the hermitages began in July, and were installed and blessed in October. The monastery’s other hermitage, Nursia, is solely used by the nuns. “I think people will get out of it a sense of connection with God ... a sense of peace ... that can only really come from removing yourself from your day-to-day surroundings,” Pavek said. A welcoming basket with bread, cheese and fruit is provided for hermitage guests, but you can bring your own food. “If a participant chooses to, they are welcomed to join in the daily prayer and Mass (at the monastery),” Pavek said. The comfortable yet simple cabin for men and women includes items one would expect to find at, say, a hotel room. “It helped me to relax, so I could come back to work renewed ... and renewed in my relationship with God ... a chance to look at my life and to try to live it better,” Manuel said.