WEEKEND RETREAT CENTER
ST. ISIDORE FARM
The St. Isidore Farm Retreat Center will provide the residents of Trinity Sober Homes with the opportunity to spend time in a farm rule setting to further explore and enhance their relationship with God, a “must-have” component for a happy, joyous, and free life of recovery from alcoholism.
Isidore the Farmer (1070 –1130), was a Spanish farmworker known for his piety toward the poor and animals. He is the Catholic patron saint of farmers.
The St Isidore Farm Retreat Center will provide the residents of Trinity Sober Homes the opportunity to spend time in a farm rule setting to further explore and enhance their relationship with God, a “must-have” component for a happy, joyous, and free life of recovery from alcoholism.
Trinity has named three of our homes after Archangels:
The St Michael House
The St Gabriel House
The St Raphael House
Trinity’s model is successful by industry standards (Trinity men stay sober at a rate of 71%, vs industry average of 50+ %) and is recognized as one of the leading post-treatment sober housing organizations in the nation.
Despite these encouraging results, the leadership team at Trinity Sober Homes believes we could do more to help men who are relapsing.
An analysis of the roughly 30% of the men who relapse each year in Trinity homes showed the following:
90% of all relapses occurred with residents during their first 6 months
90% of those relapsed occurred on weekends
After interviewing many of the men who relapsed (and interviews/discussions with men in recovery who support Trinity) the following was concluded/experienced:
Older men in early recovery have a history of relapses
By the time men show up at the door of a sober house, they (as the Big Book states) are “badly mangled”
Isolation is a common behavior and habit of older men in early recovery
Few, if any men, have extensive support systems, since most friends and families have given up hope or distanced themselves due to many, many broken promises of “quitting drinking tomorrow.”
This results in many men in early recovery finding themselves with “way too much time” on their hands and spending “way too much time” in their heads which can trigger cravings or anxiety (i.e. “white-knuckling it”) as men approach the any given weekend.
It is our belief that many of our men in early recovery would benefit by reframing any upcoming weekend as “something to look forward to” vs “something to endure.”
The opportunity the St Isidore Farm presents is to provide the residents of Trinity Sober Homes to shift their focus during early sobriety to “looking forward to the weekend getaway” vs “dreading the white knuckling they know is coming.” Here is what’s happening:
Participation in weekend retreats and activities at the farm
Reaching out to the newest man in the house and inviting him along
Comradery created in the short 80-minute drive to and from the farm
Shared purpose and community in helping with chores, group prayer and meals
We believe strongly that men need a safe harbor where they can feel better, get stronger and heal up. The St. Isidore Farm is that place.