Welcome to Knobs …

Knobs Haven: Warm, welcoming retreat spaces for individuals and groups

Hospitality and gentle grace are gifts you can relax into at Knobs Haven. The beautiful wood floors and staircases, tranquil sun porch, comfortable meeting and prayer spaces, lovingly appointed bedrooms, updated kitchen — all blend with a spirit of deep rest to bring a breath of respite. A retreatant described Knobs as “a stopping place on the journey into the heart of God.” Here you might set down your burdens; you may find yourself drawing from a well of living waters.

Founded in 1975 in a building built in 1873, Knobs abides at the heart of the Loretto Motherhouse, taking its place among the historic buildings and cradled by Mother Nature: green rolling hills (called “knobs” in Kentucky) and an abundance of trees hosting abundant bird life.

Knobs offers hospitality to individuals or groups for a weekend, a few days or a week. The two-story building holds a large, comfortable meeting room and an additional, generous space that might be used for prayer, yoga or meditation. The kitchen is spacious and offers filtered water, dinnerware, utensils, a dishwasher and plenty of room for preparing food.

There are books! Really good books! You’ll find an enticing array of poetry, fiction, nonfiction. You could live off these books, is the honest truth. An enclosed sun porch invites you to relax in a rocking chair before generous windows with your journal or one of the soul-feeding books and a fresh-steeped cup of tea.

With its inviting hospitality and gracious beauty, Knobs Haven is like a kind, venerable friend you’ll want to visit again and again.

Those who yearn for time in nature will find the path to Badin Pond just a few steps out the door. The stroll around the pond is suitable for those able to manage jaunts of about a quarter mile on a concrete path; benches provide places to rest. Elsewhere on the Motherhouse property are Mary’s Lake and Joseph’s Lake, providing longer walks on unpaved paths. The Motherhouse Farm is a short walk up the road; you may get lucky and meet some newborn calves.

Knobs’s air-conditioned house features seven bedrooms and two full baths and easily accommodates 10 persons. A second space, with room for an additional 16 occupants, is available across the street in the historic Academy Building. In addition to charming bedrooms, it includes a large gathering area, fully-equipped kitchen, dormitory-style bathroom and a single full bathroom. An elevator is available, with access to a ground-level ramp.

To learn more about Knobs Haven, visit the Knobs webpage.

To read all the articles in the Winter 2022-2023 issue of Loretto Magazine, click here.