About Us

Our MISSION is:

  • assisting in the ongoing work of discerning God’s voice, both within ourselves and in the world.
  • providing guidance in the search for wisdom
  • teaching forms of contemplative prayer
  • offering training in the inner work of the spiritual Life

Rationale: Our Scriptures tell us, humanity has been created in “God’s image.” The ongoing work of the Christian is, then, a spiritual revolution which involves detaching from the false illusions of “self,” in order to take hold of the new, True Self, that has been created in God’s likeness. Recognizing that the wisdom of recreation through spiritual transformation is often lost to our cultures and societies, we believe it is the vocation of the House of Prayer to support individuals and groups as they seek to be “formed into Christ.” (Galatians 4:19)

Location

The Episcopal House of Prayer is situated on five acres of wooded land provided by St. John's Abbey, a Roman Catholic Benedictine abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota.  We are located 76 miles west and north of the Twin Cities via I-94 (Exit 156 "St. John's University") and 90 minutes from the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport.  Directions

Our Twin Cities facility "House of Prayer in the City" is located next to St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral in downtown Minneapolis at 425 Oak Grove Street. Directions

Facilities

The House of Prayer and its Oratory are a blend of wood, glass and stone, designed to evoke an experience of solitude and awareness of God's presence.

In the House, there are nine single and four double bedrooms with individual sinks, desks, chairs and reading lamps.  There are separate toilet and shower facilities for women and men.  Towels and sheets are provided.  

A great room with vaulted ceiling and large stone fireplace offers a space for relaxation and meetings and comfortably seats 24 persons.  We have a library available to participants which contains books with respect to enhancing spiritual life and meditation.

There is the Bishop Anderson Prayer Room at the end of the hall which offers a silent space for reflection and prayer.

We have a fully furnished kitchen and a dining room that seats 24 guests.

The House and Oratory are surrounded by lawn, trees and shrubs.  There are meditation paths in the woods behind the House and with walking trails in the nearby Abbey woods. 

Guidelines for Use of the House of Prayer

Assistance is available for planning your stay at the House of Prayer.  Groups and individuals are invited to join the St. John's Abbey or St. Benedict's Monastery at prayer.

Costs

We invite individuals and groups to experience the sacred space and Benedictine hospitality.  The following fees are based on our maintenance costs and operational fees.  We welcome additional gifts to help us to continue this hospitality.   

Individual Rates: $60.00 per night/person.  Group Rates:  Facility fee - $200 per 24 hour period.  Room Rates:  $60.00 per night/person.   

A $500.00 advanced deposit is required for weekend group stays or $200.00 advanced for for group weekday stays.  Cancellation 60 days in advance allows full refund of deposit. 

Meals may be catered through St. John’s University Dining Service at a cost of $30.00 per person per day.  There is a kitchen use fee for all groups that do not order their meals during their stay at the House of Prayer.  Kitchen use fees:  $15.00, breakfast; $15.00, lunch, $25.00, dinner.  The kitchen use fee is for the entire group not each individual.