This is the response from the Benedictine Sisters in Cullman:
Dear Ms. Presley,
Thank you for your inquiry. We are excited about the possibility of having your group come to our retreat center and hope that we can provide your needs. If you should have any questions after reading this please let us know and we will do our best to help.
Our spring weekend calendar is fairly booked. Below are our weekend openings, and following that are descriptions of each of our two dorms.
Both Mary Hall and Benet Hall are available May 20-22, 2011. There is also a possibility that Mary Hall might be available May 6-7, 2011 (Mother’s Day). We are waiting to hear about another group so we will have to get back to you about that weekend.
Otherwise, all of our spring weekends are booked.
We believe that our large dining room would be appropriate for the quilting and equipment that you will need to setup but we strongly suggest that given your specific workspace requirements that someone from your group come and take a look to ensure that our space meets your needs.
Our smaller facility (Benet Hall) has 21 beds in 11 bedrooms and can accommodate up to 21 individuals depending on whether you share rooms. Our larger facility (Mary Hall) can accommodate up to 18 in private or 47 in shared rooms. In both buildings, hallway bathroom facilities are shared except for two small rooms in Mary Hall which have private baths. We have two dining rooms and two meeting rooms. Reservation of a dorm includes use of one meeting room per dorm reserved and one dining room. Meals are served cafeteria-style.
Benet Hall is a one-story ranch-style building, with several steps up to the front porch which overlooks our pond. It has a living room and a small kitchenette. Mary Hall is a three-story building. The top floor is on the same level as the dining areas and one of the meeting rooms.
Our monastic grounds are beautiful and many retreatants enjoy spending time outdoors as their program and the weather allows. Guests are most welcome to join the Sisters for Lauds each morning and Vespers each evening.
Our group rates are as follows:
Rooms are: Private $55.00 (first night) and $30.00 (each additional night) per person
Shared Room- $45.00 (first night) and $25.00 (each additional night) per person
Meals: Breakfast- $6.00
Lunch - $8.00
Dinner - $10.00 (includes Sunday noon)
Once you make a reservation, we will place you on our calendar. We will then send out paperwork to confirm the reservation. At that point we request a $200 deposit per dorm reserved. This amount will be deducted from your final bill. Please let us know if we can provide any additional information. Information about our Retreat Center can also be found on our website:
http://www.shmon.org/retreat-center.html
We hope that this will help you in planning your retreat.
The price will be about the same as Grand Oak Retreat since we will have to pay for meals, but there is a greater possibility that we can get individual rooms. The open weekends are very limited and we will have to get on their calendar ASAP. It will be possible for me to see the facility and keep them in mind for next year.