Retreats at Melrose/Bluestone Farm

Sited high in the woods, about an hour and a half north of NYC, Melrose/Bluestone Farm is a beautiful place to make a retreat.  The surrounding woods provide miles of hiking trails, or hours of walking along serene reservoirs, right nearby.  Our accommodations include St. Pelagia's Hermitage, and guest rooms in the Longhouse, which are complemented by a full kitchen and a sitting room.  Guests may join us for worship in our small, rustic chapel, and for some meals, as described below. (Pictures here.)

Accommodations.  Guests staying with us at Melrose/Bluestone Farm have the choice of reserving a room in The Longhouse, the Sisters’ former convent, or reserving St. Pelagia’s Hermitage, a rustic one-room structure nearby.  Accommodations in The Longhouse are simple and comfortable; some rooms have private baths, while others share facilities. We will try to arrange for you to have a private bath whenever possible.  Guest rooms are heated but not airconditioned. Rooms are furnished with single beds, a bedside table and lamp, and a closet.  There is also a common room with a couch and chairs, and a dining table for you to enjoy. 

Worship. If you are coming for a retreat at Melrose/Bluestone Farm, you are welcome to join us for any or all of the Offices and daily Eucharistic celebration, though there is no obligation to do so. Our worship schedule frequently varies in order to harmonize with the ever-changing hours of sunlight.  We will provide you with a daily schedule so you can have a handy reference for Office times.  Please be assured that you are not expected to sing along; if you are unfamiliar with plainsong music, which is quite complicated, it is perfectly appropriate to simply listen.  If you are comfortable singing with us, we ask that you do so quietly. This helps the Sisters hear each other, and allows other guests to hear the monastic choir. When joining us for worship, we ask that you arrive a few minutes early, so that we can give you music and psalm books to follow the flow of worship.  At the end of each Office we remain seated for a few minutes of private prayer before departing.

The Great Silence.  At the close of Compline each evening, we enter the Great Silence.  Silence allows us to enter deeply into private prayer, to meditate, and to calm our minds and open our spirits.  We ask that guests please observe the Great Silence with us each evening, until we begin again with Lauds in the morning.

Meals.  The Sisters invite those on retreat to join us for corporate meals (we eat one main meal together each day except Monday), but you may also choose to prepare your own meals, or fast, as you see fit.  The Longhouse has a fully equipped kitchen and a large common room, both of which look out onto the woods.

Donations.  We do not have a set charge for retreatants, but do ask that you consider making a donation to support our work.  Customarily, those who make a retreat with us give a gift of $50-$75 for each night's stay.

If you'd like us to reserve a room for you, please contact us by email or call us at 845-278-9777, ext. 30.