Aryeh is the sound (the transliteration) of the Hebrew word  אריה, which means “lion.” In the first book of the Bible, Jacob blesses his son Judah and equates him to a lion (Gen. 49:9-10); in the last book, the Lion of Judah is worthy to open the scroll (Rev. 5:5). The lion imagery bridges across the two testaments of the Bible. At Aryeh, we feel the presence of God in the fullness of scripture, and thus the name represents our love of that wholeness.

We believe in a balance of community flourishing and quiet solitude. You’ll be invited to take meals and attend worship services with other guests, but you will have freedom to explore your faith in solitary reflection. 

We will provide individual cottages for spiritual retreat, and we will offer teachings on contemplative prayer techniques. We will have a chapel for worship services and a community commons area for meals and classes.  Wi-fi will be limited to the commons area; it will not be extended to the “Insula” (where the cottages will be located). You’ll find a concept idea for the property here.

Rates will be assessed at a later time. We are prayerfully considering the costs associated with hosting guests.

Den founded Aryeh. She serves as a Pastor of Belonging and Formation in San Antonio, completed her Doctor of Ministry degree in 2024, and previously taught college courses in theology. In addition to authoring our contemplative social media posts, she is writing Tableship and Human Flourishing, a book about the Holy Spirit’s work in community relationships. One of her articles about contemplative prayer in community devotion is published (it can be read here). Her article on tableship, discipleship, and theosis is also published (read it here).

YES!
*Prayers for God’s presence at the hermitage are a blessing to us.
*We humbly accept donations; Aryeh is a not-for-profit organization.
*There will be future opportunities for those who feel led to volunteer.