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Dear friends,
About 22 years ago, I sat down to talk with Mary Cosby, one of the founders of the Church of the Saviour, about silent retreat at Dayspring. This is a mission that grew out of that church’s life together in the mid-1950s. Mary recalled how her sister, Elizabeth Anne Compagna, used to say, “When you come on retreat, you don’t need to make the silence. It is already here. You put it on, like a cloak.” I suspect many of us have had the experience of settling into the quiet at Dayspring and feeling its almost palpable embrace. Sitting in stillness in the Yoke Room with others, sharing silence, is mysteriously tender, revealing our unity in spiritual community.
The silence reveals sounds – the occasional ship-like creaking of the beams. The playful sound of leaves and seeds swirled around on the roof by the wind. In some seasons, the crackle of the fire. The quiet opens us to these sounds, and to so many more outside – the rich language of nature which nourishes our souls.
The outer silence and stillness also give us ears to hear “the still small voice” within. At times this “voice” may be heard in words, and at times we experience it in other ways. In the folders in the rooms of the Inn, the welcome message quotes Julian of Norwich: “The best prayer is to rest in the goodness of God, knowing that that goodness reaches down to our lowest depth of need.” That goodness, or divine love, often touches us beyond words, healing and nurturing us in our depths. Thus fed, thus filled through silent retreat, we return to our lives, to our families, to our work, and share out of that holy abundance.
This is not a profitable model. In order to make retreat as affordable as possible, we charge significantly less than it costs to operate the retreat center. We rely on the generosity of those who love Dayspring, who value this unique refuge just outside of the nation’s capital, a place devoted to nurturing the soul and opening to the Spirit. We believe that creating a place to “Be still, and know that I am God” feeds an underserved human hunger for contemplation, a universal need not met by our culture. We invite you to consider giving what you can to support this timeless ministry.
With deep gratitude on behalf of the Retreat Mission Group,
Nat Reid, Director (July, 2026)
Dear friends,
What a gift it is that Dayspring Silent Retreat Center exists. Dorothy Devers made the first generous donation toward a retreat fund, and a few years later, in 1953 (70 years ago!), Dayspring was purchased by the ecumenical Church of the Saviour. The purchase was made possible by the sacrificial donations of the community. In 1956 the Lodge was completed, built almost entirely by their hands. In 1961 the Inn, designed by church member Claude Ford, was built, and the silent retreat
center as we know it was complete. In the decades since then it has become a spiritual home away from home for countless seekers.
Psalm 46, which describes a tumultuous time not unlike our own, contains the line, “Be still, and know that I am God.” In the stillness and quietude of retreat, in the simple yet beautiful buildings, in the strong container of spiritual community,
embraced by the rolling meadows and forests, ponds and streams of Dayspring, it is amazing how many people have come to know God more deeply. Here, we heed Jesus’ invitation to “dwell in my love,” so that we may “love one another as I have
loved you.”