Transitions Retreats
Transitions and New Beginnings Retreats
Dates and locations
-- April 4-6, 2025 / In residence at St. Anthony's Spirituality Center, Marathon, Wisconsin. Registration deadline: 12 noon on March 28th. Register for this retreat
Leaders: Sandy Salvo and Barb Bickford
Description: Our lives may be going on in one direction, then a life-altering change happens. We change jobs or careers, retire or move. We experience illness, an empty nest, or deaths of loved ones.
Change can disorient us and alter our relationships with ourselves or others. We may wish for a place to get away for a few days with people who care and understand.
Join us as we explore ways to move through transitions toward new beginnings, by experiencing meaningful conversations, gentle restorative movement, intuitive art (no talent needed!) and more.
The April 2025 retreat will be held in the lovely St. Anthony Spirituality Center near Wausau, Wisconsin, which is less than 3 hours from major cities in Minnesota and Wisconsin. (see map below)
If you'd like to know when we offer future Transitions retreats and events, go to our Topic Sign up page and check the box for "TOPIC: Transitions / Grief."
If you'd like us to lead a Transitions event (from 6 to 48 hours long) for your group, staff or church, please contact Barb Bickford.
I became aware of the need
to approach transitions with calm, openness, non-judgement and the support of good people.
I returned home with much more patience and insight during a process of change.
My heart opened to the walks shared by others,
Our experiences resonated even though the specifics differed.
I was looking for greater fulfillment in my work life, with time to reflect and to open my mind to new possibilities.
Each session built on the others, allowing me to explore ideas more deeply.
I realized that it's OK to play and not to worry about perfection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Who is this retreat for?
A. Anyone in transition who is open to reflecting about it, sharing their journey with others, and listening to the intuition that is arising from within them. What is the transition providing for you and what could your next step be?
Yes, of course! People of any faith tradition – or none – are welcome to continue or begin their search for spiritual growth, self-knowledge, and inner peace at both locations.
Retreats at St. Anthony's Spirituality Center: In the Franciscan tradition of reverence for all, St. Anthony's strives to provide an environment of hospitality to all who come seeking to deepen their spirituality and awaken everyday encounters with the Divine. A Catholic church very near to the retreat center welcomes you to join them for mass, if you like. We'll schedule a morning reflection time at St. Anthony's at the same time as mass. You can go to one or the other or neither, as you wish.
Retreats at Moon Beach Camp: Moon Beach is the quintessential Northwoods Wisconsin retreat center with winterized cabins that overlook Moon Lake. Owned and operated by United Church Camps, Inc, which has this mission statement: "We will love God, all others, and the earth by providing sanctuary, practicing hospitality, and performing ministry." All are welcome at Moon Beach. Our Sunday morning reflection time is optional.
A. Rooms at St. Anthony’s are furnished simply, in the Franciscan tradition. Some rooms include a sink and mirror, and some rooms – referred to as suites – include a full bathroom. Suites are limited and are assigned on a first come / first served basis. Suites may not be available during very busy times. Both single and double rooms are available. See the rooms by scrolling down this web page. Guest rooms are on the second floor and there is an elevator to access them. If you have questions about accommodations, please call St. Anthony's Spirituality Center at 715-443-2236.
Q. Can I arrive early or stay later for a personal retreat?
At Moon Beach, rooms with refigerators are available to rent, and meals may be available depending on who else is in camp. For more information, go here, scroll down and click on "Glamping."
Q. Who should I make out the check to?
If you'd like be notified about other Transitions events, go to our Topic Sign up page
and check the box for "TOPIC: Transitions / Grief."
I want to thank both of you, Sandy and Barb, for the opportunity to participate in your Transitions workshop in March 2023. I really wasn’t sure what to expect but I knew it would be top shelf with you both creating and facilitating it.
I also wasn’t totally sure what my transition was, but I definitely felt stuck, still grieving the loss of my husband and having writers block for writing a book intended to honor him and help others. My unfinished book manuscript had been untouched for months.
Your workshop got me unstuck and moving forward. It was the combination of physical movement, your insightful questions, talking sincerely with others, painting just for fun, and the different experiences inside and outside of the group that helped me identify what I had been struggling with.
I left with a game plan and I want you to know that I have written every day since the workshop and I can see the end in sight for submitting my book to a publisher. It would not have happened without my weekend with you and our group. Thank you sincerely! -- -- ---Kathleen A. Paris
Kathleen's book, "Gentle Comforts: For Women Grieving the Loss of a Beloved Life Companion," came out a year after she attended our retreat.
If you recall, I was contemplating leaving my career as an architect and trying to figure out my next career.
The art exercises that you had us do really had an impact on my thought process. I discovered that it was ok to get messy and explore ideas and options I normally wouldn’t have.
I can confidently say that the retreat helped me settle into a phase of open exploration without being afraid. Shortly after the retreat, I began working on the book I had always talked about writing.
I have a completed manuscript almost ready to go to my editor and am hopeful that by May of 2025 I will be a published author. I also currently have a children’s book that we are editing and getting an illustrator onboard and hope to have that published by spring of 2025.
I wanted you to know that your retreat, for me, was eye opening and did make an impact and for that I am grateful. Thank you!
---Bob Vajgrt
Photos from past Transitions and New Beginnings retreats at St. Anthony's Spirituality Center
Register for the Transitions retreat in April 2025
Registration deadline: 12 noon on March 28th
If you'd like be notified about future Transitions events, go to our Topic Sign up page
and check the box for "TOPIC: Transitions / Grief."
