About Us
Located in Atchison, Kansas, on forty acres of rolling hills, in a Benedictine environment of a praying community, the Sophia Center provides an ideal setting for prayer and reflection. Retreats and workshops are on the grounds of the monastery. Spend prayerful time in the inspiring chapels, share in the spiritual and intellectual resources of the sisters and, most importantly, experience worship with a monastic community known for its reverent, beautiful liturgies. Open to persons of all faiths, the programs include courses on the Scripture, monastic spirituality, reflection days, directed and group retreats, Advent and Lenten days of prayer, days of recollection, and much more.
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Waiting and Longing
The days of Advent, more than any other time of the year, invite us to practice waiting. Savoring the season cannot be rushed. There are so many beautiful practices that help us prepare to fully experience the joy of Christmas. There are carols to be sung, candles to be lit, doors to be opened on the Advent calendar. There are scriptures to be proclaimed. There are so many good deeds to be done.
We moderns are not built for waiting. We expect everything to be ready now! We’re not really accustomed to deep longing either. We have so many things to distract us from what’s truly important in our lives. There are so many “things” I want or think I need.
I hope that during these four weeks you have opportunities to step away from all that can be frenzied, noisy, and demanding much attention. When you’re putting up the lights, trimming the tree, baking the cookies, or dressing up for a special party, take time to reflect on the reason for all the festivities. God loved us so much that Jesus was born and came to live among us. It is Jesus for whom we are waiting, and longing. Advent is a time to reflect on what a gift this is for us and how Jesus joins us to every other living person and all of creation.
We have our Winter/Spring calendar of retreats available now. We will offer many opportunities for you to gather in person or via zoom. Plan to participate in one or more of our offerings. This will be a way to continue welcoming God for whom we long into our lives. Be assured of our prayers for a most joyous Christmas and New Year.
We are always grateful for the wonderful support we receive for our ministry. Please select “Sophia Spirituality Center” under the designation menu.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sophia Spirituality Center is open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Central Time) Tuesday through Friday. The office is closed on Mondays.
If you call and leave a message, we will be prompt in answering.
For scheduled retreats, check-in time is one half hour before the retreat is scheduled to begin. For groups, the check in time will be established with the leader in advance of the retreat. For private retreats we ask that you arrive between 9:30-3:30 p.m. Special arrangements can be made if necessary.
Please come to Sophia Center on the main floor of the Feeney building to check in. The entrance to Sophia Center is on the south side of the building. If you are staying overnight, please leave your bags in the car until you are registered and have your room location and key.
Guests are welcome for Liturgy of the Hours and Eucharist. If you are new to Sophia Spirituality Center, one of the sisters will provide a brief orientation for you and find you a place in chapel. A schedule for prayer times can be found at Sophia Center and also in your room. Out of respect for the group gathered for prayer, please plan to arrive at least five minutes early for the service.
Held in the monastery choir chapel, morning prayer during the week is at 7:00 a.m. and evening praise is at 5:30 p.m. Morning prayer on Saturday is at 8:45 a.m. On Sunday, morning prayer is at 9:30 a.m. Evening praise on Saturday and Sunday is at 5:00 p.m. Sunday Eucharist is at 10:15 a.m. in St. Scholastica Chapel. Mass is held in St. Lucy Chapel (in Dooley Center) at 11:15 a.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
We suggest comfortable clothes, appropriate for the season, as well as comfortable walking shoes. You may find a light sweater helpful for meeting rooms. In the chapel, the dining room and meeting rooms, we suggest “business casual”. If you plan to join the sisters in the chapel, we prefer that shorts not be worn.
We welcome men as guests for private retreats, as participants in scheduled retreats or hosted retreats.
There are some bedrooms located in St. Catherine’s Hall, across the street from the main Sophia Center building and some are located on the third floor of St. Cecilia’s, which is attached to the monastery building. It requires some walking to get to both buildings.
We provide sheets, towels, wash cloths, pillows and blankets. Please bring toiletries and other personal items you may need. Since some of the bathrooms are down the hall, you will also want to bring a bathrobe.
Ordinarily guests will be given a private room unless they choose to share a room with someone they know.
All the bathrooms are private. Some are shared between two bedrooms. Others are down the hall.
Sophia Center is equipped with wired and wireless connectivity in the main building and in St. Cecilia’s.
September, 2023
Approximately one week prior to an on-site program, Sophia Center pays housekeeping to clean and ready the rooms and the kitchen staff purchases food and prepares meals for our guests. Additional staff works to organize materials and ensure everything is ready for your arrival. Also, we compensate our presenters independent of the number of retreatants registered for both Zoom and on-site retreats. In order to help offset the financial impact of cancellations, we have implemented the following:
- Cancellation of your registration:
- Ordinarily we ask for a 25% deposit. In order to receive a full refund, minus a $15 processing fee, we require 2-weeks notice of cancellation.
- A request for transfer of payments made to another retreat or program:
- Requests must be received no less than 14 days prior to the scheduled start date of the retreat or program. As a courtesy, Sophia Spirituality Center will transfer your payment to another Sophia Center offering. If you cancel your registration for that retreat as well or, if after one year, the funds have not been utilized, they will be recorded as a donation gift to Sophia Center. Please note that funds cannot be transferred for use with spiritual direction or massage.
- If Sophia Spirituality Center must cancel for any reason: You will be offered the option of transferring your payment to another offering or receiving a full refund for the total amount paid.
Please consider donating your payment as a gift to Sophia Center if you are in a position to do so. The Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica subsidize our retreats and programs, making it possible for us to offer them at or below the actual cost.
Meet the Staff
Sister Carol Ann Petersen, OSB is a member of the Benedictine Community of Mount St. Scholastica. She earned her master’s degree in Educational Administration from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. She served as principal of schools in Kansas, Nebraska, and Missouri before ministering for eleven years as associate superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Kansas City – St. Joseph. She was the founding director of Keeler Women’s Center and served there from 2003-2016. She has served as director of Sophia Spirituality Center since the spring of 2016.
Donna Coleman grew up in the nearby town of Weston, MO and completed her Bachelor's degree in English at Benedictine College, later going on to receive certification in Graphic Design at the Kansas City Art Institute. Donna enjoys meeting new people and putting her creative skills to work for Sophia. You will most likely see her online, supporting our Zoom presenters and participants.
Joanne Yankauskis is a member of the Benedictine Community of Mount St. Scholastica. She has been Administrative Assistant at Sophia Center since 2011. Joanne earned her master's degree in Education from Fitchburg State College, Fitchburg, Massachusetts and a Masters in Spirituality from St. Michael’s College, Winooski, Vermont.
Sister Sharon began her teaching career at an elementary school in Corning, Kansas, before spending five years teaching math at Mount St. Scholastica Academy. Finding her niche at the college level, she taught math for over twenty years each at Longview Community College in Missouri, and Donnelly College, Kansas City, Kansas.
During her last five years at Donnelly, along with teaching, Sister Sharon set up and coordinated the Campus Cupboard, where Donnelly students could get food, hygiene, and school supplies for free.
She enjoys making and decorating cakes, dancing for special liturgies, and sewing. She hopes all of these will come in handy working at Sophia Center.
Mary Kay Whitacre has worked in pastoral ministry in the Catholic Church for more than 45 years. She received a Master’s degree in Religious Education in 1982, and her Doctor of Ministry in 2017 from Seattle University. After she graduated from the Souljourners Spiritual Direction Formation Program in 2005, she joined the Souljourners staff. Currently, Mary Kay is a part of the Souljourners Leadership team and the Sophia Center staff.
Sister Micaela Randolph, OSB is a member of the Benedictine Community of Mount St. Scholastica. She earned a master’s degree in Religious Education from St. Meinrad’s in Meinrad, IN in 1979 and a master’s degree in Christian Spirituality from Creighton University in 1990. Micaela is a former Director of Initial Formation for her community. She has been ministering in Sophia Center since 2003 and served as Director of Souljourners for 15 years. She continues to serve on the staff of Souljourners along with offering spiritual direction, supervision, and retreats.
