Retreats are a regular practice of the Institute and a particular form of Spiritual Direction. A retreat is a sacred time for a person to keep awake and learning in his or her spiritual and theological understanding. They offer a person a more concentrated opportunity to be found by God. He or she is helped or guided through this experience, step by step, by the Directors. A typical Retreat offered by the Institute lasts for one day (8 AM to 4:30 PM at most). A retreatant is given time to alone with God (at prayer) but at common cause with the other retreatants who are alone with God. One’s striving to make oneself available to God can be greatly helped when done in the presence of others making this same effort.