Marywood, nestled on the west bank of Trout Lake and beneath tall pines, is a spirituality and retreat center in Arbor Vitae, WI, north of Minocqua.
Marywood Franciscan Spirituality Center, on the shoreline of Trout Lake in Arbor Vitae, Wisconsin, has been a place of rest, leisure, renewal, prayer, rejuvenation, play, inspiration and peacefulness since 1992. Marywood is open to all interested people (lay, religious, clergy) of all denominations and religious beliefs for renewal and retreat. A wide variety of programs and retreats are scheduled
throughout the year. Marywood is a sponsored ministry of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration of La Crosse, Wisconsin
08/20/2025
🔹 Chip Carving Workshop 🔹
September 11–12, 2025 | 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Marywood Franciscan Spirituality Center
Discover the timeless art of chip carving in this hands-on two-day workshop with certified instructor Todd Blachier. Using just a single knife and a pattern, you’ll create your own hand-carved ornament while experiencing the meditative rhythm of this centuries-old craft.
✨ No experience needed — all supplies included! ✨
Investment: $200 | Optional cabin lodging: $55/night
A Marywood Kayak Pilgrimage toward Hope
WHEN: September 6th, 2025 7:30AM-10:30AM
Free Will Offering
The words of a song tell us that “peace is flowing like a river”. It is also flowing in the clear waters of Trout Lake in Arbor Vitae, Wisconsin. We invite you to join retreat facilitator and kayak enthusiast Mary Anne Smrz in a guided pilgrimage toward peace and hope. During this three-hour paddling retreat, you will experience the peace that is “flowing out of you and me”. Buoyed by the water, this encounter with extraordinary natural beauty and time to reflect and journal will carry you to deeper understanding of how the peace that flows from you can set you–and all “captives” of our world–free.
A limited number of kayaks are available at Marywood. We encourage you to bring your own. People of all levels of kayaking experience are welcome. A signed release of liability form is required before we launch.
To inquire and register by September 2nd, please call Marywood at (715) 385-3750 or email [email protected].
07/28/2025
Your words are ready. Are you?
Join us for Ripening Pages—a six-day immersive writing retreat designed to nourish your creativity and harvest your richest writing yet.
Join Wisconsin authors Monica Lobenstein, Mary Ann Smrz, and Kitty O’Meara for a six-day retreat during which we’ll explore innovative strategies for harvesting our ripe words on the page. Plenty of writing time, networking with other writers, and the inspiration of Trout Lake and the majestic forest at Marywood are the perfect conditions for ripening the fruit of your writer’s soul!
WHEN: Wednesday, August 20th at 4PM through Monday, August 25th at 12PM.
COST OF INVESTMENT: $700 staying onsite in a private room in a shared cabin; $480 commuting. Guests are invited to dine with the hosts throughout the retreat, however each cabin is equipped with a full kitchen.
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Contact The Place Of Worship
Send a message to Marywood Franciscan Spirituality Center:
Marywood is a ministry sponsored by the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration (FSPA) of La Crosse, Wisconsin.
The Marywood Franciscan Spirituality Center engages persons seeking greater meaning in life and a deeper relationship with God, others, self and all creation by providing space for inspiration, reflection and solitude.
The mission is carried out by:
Inspiring all to live in awareness of God’s presence in creation and the universe
Reverencing, appreciating and protecting Earth’s resources as gift
Witnessing to the spirit of the Gospels as lived by Francis and Clare of Assisi
Sharing opportunities to further personal growth, relationships and faith
Acting with compassion, creativity, hospitality and mutuality
Creating a climate, both on and off site, of innovative approaches to healing, teaching and praying
Creating partnerships that promote common endeavors
The Marywood property was purchased in 1966 by the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration as one of their United States provincial sites. Through the years the main building, lodge and four cabins provided the sisters and their guests with a place for spiritual renewal, community governance, ministry and holistic living in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. On June 6, 1992 the sisters made the decision to open Marywood to the public as a spirituality center.
Marywood Franciscan Spirituality Center welcomes all spiritual seekers of various religious backgrounds for retreats and spiritual renewal. Spiritual directors are available to companion you in your time here.
We’d love to host you for a program or retreat in our center or in one of our cozy lakeside cabins. We hope you will visit us soon in the Wisconsin Northwoods!
