Places of Retreat: Find some time for quiet this winter

Winter is a time to slow down, when everything gets quiet and it seems as though even the earth takes time to pause and reflect. We know it’s cold outside, but Southeast Missouri offers a plethora of beautiful places in which to spend time pondering the nature of life. Feed your spirit with reflection, your physical health with a walk and your mental health with a good dose of Vitamin D from the sun. We bet it all helps boost your mood.

So, bundle up: here, we’ve gathered a few places for you to get outside and experience the quiet beauty of wintertime.

The Labyrinth at Abbey Road in Cape Girardeau

A labyrinth is a geometric walking path designed to foster contemplation; at the entrance, a person walks in, meditatively quieting their mind or focusing on a question or intention for which they want guidance. The way into the center is about letting go. Walkers of the path may pause in the center — which symbolizes union with God — for however long they’d like, becoming aware of any insights that may have come to them while walking in or simply being open to receive. The walker then walks back out on the same path, meditating on how the gifts received can be lived out in daily life. The labyrinth takes approximately 30 minutes to walk, but participants are invited to create their own pace. The labyrinth at Abbey Road Christian Church is designed after the one in Chartres Cathedral in France.

The Labyrinth at Abbey Road in Cape Girardeau is a geometric walking path designed to foster contemplation. It takes approximately 30 minutes to walk.File photo.

“The labyrinth is a spiritual tool of walking meditation that can be used for prayer, meditation, reflection, answers to questions and whatever anyone chooses to use it for, for their own purpose,” says Anne McDonough, labyrinth crew coordinator. “It’s important for us to promote people’s spiritual journeys and to allow them to use it in whatever manner they choose, not putting guidelines on it. We offer it up for use as that tool.”

__Go visit:__ 2411 Abbey Road in Cape Girardeau

St. Mary of the Barrens — National Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal in Perryville, Missouri

Once a seminary for men studying to be priests, the grounds of the Miraculous Medal now house retired priests and a branch of Mineral Area College, along with a church, grotto and shrine. Renovations to the Rosary Walk, a nearly one-mile walk featuring the same beads found on the rosary, was completed in October 2018. The path winds through a peaceful grove of trees, and there are 18 statues, as well as places to sit, along the handicap-accessible path to guide reflection. Twelve of the statues are representations of Mary from around the world; this is the only place in the world where all of these depictions can be seen together.

“The thing I love about the Rosary Walk is it provides a space that’s quiet, reflective,” says Don Fulford, president and CEO of the Association of the Miraculous Medal. “When people have that one thing in their life they’re challenged by, we hope this is a place where they can take a walk, sit on a bench, light a candle, even go into the church to find the inner peace they need to move forward. It’s a quiet, reflective place full of nature.”

__Go visit:__ 1805 West St. Joseph Street in Perryville, Missouri

Brookside Veteran’s Memorial in Jackson

This memorial to veterans of all wars is in Jackson’s Brookside Park, 41 acres of quiet space near the Jackson Civic Center. The memorial honors 2,400 people who served in 10 wars of the United States: the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Mexican War, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and Desert Storm. The names on the memorial are of people who were from the Jackson area or who have a family connection to the area; the memorial also includes names of people in active service. It was dedicated in 1994 by the VFW and American Legion.

The Brookside Park Memorial to Veterans of All Wars is seen Friday, Dec. 13, 2019, in Jackson. Jacob Wiegand ~ jwiegand@semissourian.com

“It’s always there for reflection,” says Shane Anderson, City of Jackson Parks and Recreation director. “Maybe there’s someone in your family whose name is on there. We, along with the VFW, keep up the area to good standards for people to come and reflect. … You want to remember the individuals who have fought in these conflicts; without them, history would have turned out differently.”

__Go visit:__ 952 East Independence Street in Jackson