Holy Week Personal Retreat

April 17–20, 2025 • Virginia Mae Center

Registration is now closed.

Renew your faith and deepen your relationship with God during Holy Week through a 3-night personal retreat at the newly-renovated Virginia Mae Center, nestled within the picturesque grounds of Washington National Cathedral.

Details

Your journey through Holy Week includes access to Cathedral worship services (including one Easter Sunday Holy Eucharist pass) and a self-directed Retreat Guide curated by Terri Lynn Simpson, MTS, DMin, Program Manager for the Cathedral Center for Prayer and Pilgrimage. Explore a Lenten pilgrimage in images, scripture and poetry in the cloister and gardens; settle into a comfortable chair in the cozy library to read or journal; or savor the silence in the Virginia Mae Center’s chapel, available throughout your stay for prayer and reflection. All faiths are welcome.

Accommodations

The Virginia Mae Center is located steps from the Cathedral and provides tranquil accommodations, featuring stunning gothic architecture elements, premium bedding, and en-suite marble bathrooms. Coffee, tea, and water is available throughout your stay. Continental breakfast is served each morning of your stay. See photos and virtually tour rooms and other spaces at the Virginia Mae Center here.

Fees & Registration

Please note, this is an overnight personal retreat with a 3-night stay (Thursday, April 17 through Sunday, April 20). If you would like to arrive earlier, please reach out via email.

Fees vary by room type, and include 3 nights accommodations and the retreat fee:

  • Standard Twin Guest Room (one twin bed): $520
  • Standard Guest Room (one full bed): $580
  • Premium Guest Room (two full beds): $730

Have questions? See the FAQ below, or click the button below to register now. Registration is now closed.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Retreat Guide, including on-demand, digital guided meditations with reflection questions, curated by Terri Lynn Simpson, MTS, DMin, Program Manager for the Cathedral Center for Prayer and Pilgrimage
  • A copy of the Hear Us, Good Lord: Lenten Meditations from Washington National Cathedral
  • Opportunity to join Cathedral Holy Week worship offerings (see schedule), including one pass to Easter Sunday Festival Holy Eucharist
  • Access to Virginia Mae Center spaces such as the library, chapel, cloisters, courtyard and more (note: quiet hours are daily from 8pm to 8am)
  • Coffee, tea, and water throughout your stay, plus a continental breakfast each morning

Open City, the Cathedral’s cafe partner, is located on the Cathedral Close near the Bishop’s Garden and is open from 7am to 6pm daily. They offer an assortment of coffee-based and other beverages, hot and cold sandwiches, salads, soups and sweet treats. The Cathedral Heights neighborhood offers many eateries a few minutes’ walk away, as well as Giant and Wegmans grocery stores. Guests may also store their food and beverage items in the communal fridge in the cloister.

Check-in is between 3 and 10 pm on the day of your arrival. Check-out is by 2 pm on April 20. 

Centrally located within the tranquility of the Cathedral grounds, the Virginia Mae Center is a place of learning, pilgrimage and spiritual renewal, a safe venue for difficult conversations, and a healing space for all who enter its doors. Learn more about the Virginia Mae Center ->  

Three airports are conveniently located in the DC metro area: Reagan National (DCA), Washington Dulles (IAD), and Baltimore-Washington (BWI). The closest airport to the Cathedral is National (DCA). Train transit is available via DC’s Union Station.

Please refer to this page for details on the Cathedral’s location and local public transit information.

For those driving, parking is available in the Cathedral’s underground garage and is included with the retreat fee.