A Weekend Retreat
"Come away by yourselves to a quiet place and rest a while." — Mark 6:31
Why this weekend?
For whoever's arrived here tired. If you're carrying more than you can name — a busy season, a low hum of worry, the particular exhaustion of holding things together — this weekend is built for you.
Over two nights, we'll slow down together: honest reflection, Scripture, silence, movement, and practical tools for facing anxiety in ordinary life, not just at a retreat.
The shape of the weekend
Arriving, resting, and being sent back out
Friday
Arriving and naming
A gentle start: settling in, a shared meal, and space to let the noise of the week actually settle. We open with dinner, followed by a short input — permission to be honest about what we're carrying, without needing to explain or fix it yet — and close with a quiet walk to our rooms.
Saturday
Rest, reflection and tools
The fullest day, paced deliberately with rest built in: short Scripture-grounded sessions, generous free time with options of forest or hill walks, or an afternoon labyrinth walk as a physical practice of letting go and receiving, and a practical session on real tools — breath prayer and simple ways to return to peace mid-week, not just on retreat.
Sunday
Carrying it home
We close gently, not with new content but with integration, and a single honest question — what is the one thing I want to carry back into Monday? The weekend ends with a closing Eucharist before lunch and farewells.
The setting
Origins Retreat Centre, Cradle of Humankind
Set among open grassland and quiet paths, the venue gives the weekend room to breathe — paces to walk, sit, and be still, alongside a chapel for quiet prayer throughout.
Labyrinth
A walking practice of letting go and receiving
Forest walk (Stations of Life)
Shaded paths for slow, unhurried movement
Hill walk
Open ground, wide skies and expansive views, for perspective
Chapel
Open throughout the weekend for quiet prayer
Your hosts
Russell Pollitt SJ
Gillian Hugo
Russell Pollitt SJ is a Jesuit priest, spiritual director and pastor of Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Braamfontein, Johannesburg. He has given both preached and directed retreats, extensively in South Africa and internationally.
Gillian Hugo is a member of the Jesuit Institute team, and a spiritual director. She has led preached and directed retreats and has a keen interest in mindfulness.
Your Investment
Option A
R3700.00 per person
- Single, en-suite accommodation
- Includes all meals
- Access to all activites and amenities
Option B
R3425.00 per person
- Shared (2 people per room), en-suite accommodation
- Includes all meals
- Access to all activites and amenities
Option C
R3200.00 per person
- Dormitory accommodation, shared ablution facilities
- Includes all meals
- Access to all activites and amenities
Payment Options
- Pay full amount on booking, or
- Pay 50% deposit on booking and balance one week before retreat, or
- Pay 3 instalments, i.e.
- Option A R3700.00: R1235.00 on booking, R1235.00 per month for the following two months
- Option B R3425.00: R1145.00 on booking, R1145.00 per month for the following two months
- Option C R3200.00: R1070.00 on booking, R1070.00 per month for the following two months