Hospitality

“Let all guests who arrive be received as Christ.”

-Rule of St. Benedict 53:1

St. Benedict wrote in his Rule for Monasteries that the monks are to receive all guests as Christ, providing a place for all who come in peace seeking God. The Coury Guest House was built with that goal in mind and is dedicated to the Holy Family as a sign that our guests are members of the Subiaco Family. Our ministry of hospitality includes opportunities for group and personal retreats to people of all religious beliefs and denominations. Guests may attend prayer with the monks, tour the church and grounds, or take advantage of the peace and quiet away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. The Coury Guest House includes a chapel, meeting rooms, thirty-five guest rooms with private bathrooms, and an adoration chapel.

Scroll below to see our upcoming available retreats and dates.

Retreats

Request a Private Stay

Flexible dates.

Open to both Catholics and non-Catholics, private stays offer guests the opportunity to step away from daily distractions, attend prayer with the monks, enjoy peaceful surroundings, and, if desired, request spiritual direction during their visit. Whether for a weekend of self-reflection, a personal getaway, or a deeper encounter with faith and silence, each stay is thoughtfully arranged to provide a more personal and restorative experience.

Academy Senior Ring Ceremony

Flexible dates.

The Academy Senior Ring Ceremony at Subiaco Academy marks an important milestone in the journey of Subiaco seniors as they receive the class ring that symbolizes their brotherhood, accomplishments, and connection to the Academy. Families and guests are invited to stay on campus for this meaningful tradition, offering the opportunity to celebrate alongside students while experiencing the faith, fellowship, and community that define the Subiaco experience.

Subiaco Women's Retreat

August 28 - 30, 2026 w/ Fr. Cassian Elkins O.S.B.

The Subiaco Women’s Retreat at Subiaco Abbey offers a peaceful weekend of reflection, prayer, and renewal set against the beauty of the Arkansas River Valley. Designed for women seeking spiritual growth and meaningful connection, the retreat includes guided conferences, opportunities for quiet contemplation, participation in the liturgical life of the monks, and time for fellowship with others. Grounded in the Benedictine tradition of balance, hospitality, and prayer, the retreat provides a restorative pause from daily life and an invitation to deepen one’s faith in a setting known for its rich spiritual heritage.

A Retreat with St. Francis of Assisi

September 25 - 27, 2026

invites guests to step away from the noise of everyday life for a weekend centered on prayer, reflection, and renewal in the spirit of St. Francis. Led by Fr. John Marconi and Debbie Eckert, the retreat encourages participants to return to simplicity, live in peace, and deepen their relationship with Christ through prayer, fellowship, and contemplation surrounded by the quiet beauty of the Abbey grounds.

Going Deeper Together Men

October 5 - 8, 2026 with Dr. Gary Oliver

A four-day intensive retreat designed for Christian men seeking deeper spiritual, emotional, and relational growth. Led by Dr. Gary Oliver, the experience combines teaching, prayer, reflection, fellowship, and periods of solitude to help participants strengthen their relationship with God while cultivating healthier spiritual habits and emotional awareness. Through guided discussion and contemplative practices in a small-group setting, men are invited to step away from daily pressures, encounter God in a more meaningful way, and return renewed, refocused, and encouraged in both their personal and professional lives.

Retreats Tailored to Your Needs

From private retreats and spiritual direction to guided group retreats and days of recollection, Coury House offers flexible experiences for individuals, parishes, ministries, and organizations seeking meaningful time away.

Comfortable Accommodations in a Monastic Setting

With 35 guest rooms, welcoming common spaces, wireless internet access, and peaceful surroundings, the Coury House Retreat Center provides a simple and comfortable environment for rest, reflection, and fellowship.

Simple & Comfortable

Each guest room at Coury House is designed to provide a quiet and restful environment for retreat and reflection, complete with a private bathroom and shower, comfortable furnishings, climate control, wireless internet access, and thoughtful amenities to support a peaceful stay.

Shared Lounge & Kitchen

Guests at Coury House can gather in a welcoming common area lounge designed for conversation, quiet reading, or fellowship throughout their stay. The adjacent shared kitchen provides a convenient space for guests and small groups to prepare meals, enjoy coffee together, and feel at home during their retreat experience.

Benedictine Hospitality for All

As an apostolate of Subiaco Abbey, the Coury House Retreat Center welcomes guests of all denominations to experience hospitality, quiet reflection, and spiritual renewal in a setting guided by Catholic Benedictine values.

Retreat Information

Types of Retreats

Private Retreats are for individuals or small groups who want a quiet time of prayer, reflection, meditation, or reading. There are no scheduled conferences, but a priest can be available for the Sacrament of Reconciliation upon request.

Private Directed Retreats can be arranged for individual or small groups to meet with a retreat director. The number of conferences and length of retreat are flexible to your needs.

Directed Group Retreats are for larger groups and include a retreat director, a series of conferences, meals, room accommodations, and use of facilities for 3-5 days.

Days of Recollection include two or three conferences, an opportunity for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Eucharist, or a Holy Hour with Benediction. Days of Recollection can be arranged for church groups or organizations throughout the year. Days of Recollection usually run from 9 am to 3 pm.

Meetings: Coury House is pleased to offer its facilities to church groups or other organizations for retreats or meetings. These groups typically provide their director or speaker. Groups of all denominations are welcome at the Coury House.

The Coury Guest House is an apostolate of Subiaco Abbey, a Catholic Benedictine monastery. As such, we adhere to the principles of Catholic moral teaching. We do not knowingly permit the retreat center to be used for conduct incompatible with Catholic moral teaching or as a forum to advance such conduct.

Our Facilities

THE GUEST ROOMS:

We have a total of 35 guest rooms: 25 with twin beds and 10 with queen beds. Each room includes:
- A bed and desk lamp, an extra wool blanket, towels, wash cloth, hand soap, and a small closet.
- Although we provide small soaps, guests generally bring their own toiletries. Additional towels or blankets are available for guests upon request.
- Heating and Air Conditioning.
- Private bathrooms with a shower.
- Phones are not provided in the rooms.
- Wireless internet is available throughout the Guesthouse.
- The bedrooms do not have televisions. A television is available in the main lounge.

MEALS:

Meals are available in the Guest Dining Room in the main building ($7 for breakfast, $8 for lunch, and $10 for dinner), or you can use the kitchen in Coury House to make your own meals. We cannot accommodate special diets.

CONFERENCE ROOMS:

Coury House maintains two conference rooms within the retreat center itself:
- St. Benedict Conference Room seats up to 80 people. Access to speakers, lapel wireless mics, handheld wireless mics, three types of podiums, projector with screen with HDMI connector and laser pointer.
- St. Scholastica Conference Room seats up to 30 people. Access to a TV with share screen/speakers and podium.

OTHER NOTES:

Check-in time is 3:00 pm, but we will strive to accommodate an earlier arrival time if requested and available.
Check-out time is 11:00 am unless other arrangements have been made.
We are not able to accommodate pets at the guesthouse unless they are service animals.
Upon departure, please help our housekeeping staff by placing your linens and towels outside your room door and leave the room key on the registration desk.

Gift Shop

Coury House Gift Store offers a wide selection of items to aid in focusing your own devotion or as gifts to family and friends. Books, rosaries, and calligraphy by monks of Subiaco Abbey are available.

Come and browse through hundreds of titles. Store hours are 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1-4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 8:30-10:30 a.m. and 1-4 p.m. Sunday. You may contact us for inquiries or to see if we have items in stock. Our number is 479-934-1290.

Art work, holy water fonts, Christmas ornaments, religious jewelry and statues, and books are available to aid you on your faith journey. Whether you want to know more about the Roman Catholic faith or are looking for meditative reading to center yourself in Christ, Coury House Book Store has something for you. Special orders are welcome.

Shipping and handling charges will be added on all books and religious items ordered. Please ask for a total when ordering. The Coury House Book Store and Gift Shop offers quality religious articles and books for spiritual growth and direction.

Priests, Deacons, Religious, and Seminarians-Letters of Suitability

As part of our Praesidium safeguarding policy, Subiaco requires all priests, deacons, religious, and seminarians, to submit in advance a 'Testimony of Suitability/Letter of Good Standing' from their Ordinary/Superior according to the norms established by the USCCB. Priests & deacons incardinated within the Diocese of Little Rock, or seminarians of our diocese, are not required to do so. To undertake any ministry on abbatial grounds requires the approval of the Abbot who must retain in our files all letters of suitability. The letter of suitability should be sent by email to the Abbot of Subiaco at the following address:

ABBOT ELIJAH OWENS, OSB
Subiaco Abbey
405 N. Subiaco Avenue
Subiaco, AR 72865
Email: abbot@subi.org

Upon arrival at the Abbey, the person will also submit their ID for a Raptor Safe Check which instantly compares their data against the registered sex offender databases for all 50 U.S. states and territories. This is the safeguarding prevention that we use for our Subiaco Academy school system as part of the protections for our students who live on our abbey grounds.

If the ordained minister is also undertaking some form of ministry outside the Abbey grounds but within the Diocese of Little Rock, then they will also need to comply with the policies of the Diocese of Little Rock listed under 'Vetting Policy for Visiting Clergy, Religious and Laity' as found HERE.

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