Howes, South Dakota · Diocese of Rapid City

Hehaka Sapa ~
Black Elk Catholic
Retreat Center

Between Heaven and Earth

Makpiya na Maka Okogna · Howes, SD 57748

A sacred place of prayer, healing, and encounter — rooted in the Catholic faith and the spirit of the Great Plains for fifty years.

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Our Mission

A place apart,
open to all

Founded in 1976, the Black Elk Catholic Retreat Center has welcomed pilgrims, retreatants, and seekers for half a century. Nestled in the hills of western South Dakota, the Center offers silence, prayer, and the sacramental life of the Church in a setting of extraordinary natural beauty.

Named in honor of the Servant of God Nicholas Black Elk — Oglala Lakota catechist, mystic, and spiritual bridge between two worlds — the Center carries his legacy forward in ministry to Native communities, individuals, and parishes across the region and beyond.

Years of Sacred Ministry

800+

Retreatants & Donors

Retreat Programs

1976

Founded, Howes SD

$Community life at the retreat center$

Servant of God

Nicholas Black Elk
1863 – 1950

Nicholas Black Elk was an Oglala Lakota holy man who embraced Catholic Christianity and spent the last decades of his life as a devoted catechist, baptizing hundreds and bringing the Gospel to his people. His spiritual autobiography, Black Elk Speaks, became one of the most widely read accounts of Native American spiritual life.

"The Great Spirit is everywhere; he hears whatever is in our minds and hearts, and it is not necessary to speak to Him in a loud voice."

The Diocese of Rapid City formally opened his cause for canonization in 2017. In renaming this Center in his honor, the Diocese affirms the dignity and spiritual heritage of the Lakota people and acknowledges the unique gift Black Elk offered to the universal Church — a vision of faith that was both profoundly Catholic and profoundly Lakota.

The Canonization Cause

The Diocese of Rapid City opened the formal cause for the beatification and canonization of Nicholas Black Elk in 2017 under Bishop Robert Gruss. The cause reflects recognition of his heroic virtue, his role as a bridge between cultures, and his enduring witness to the Gospel among the Lakota people.

Why This Name

For fifty years this Center served as the Sioux Spiritual Center. In its anniversary year, a new name honors the man whose life this land reflects: a seeker, a mystic, a catechist, a faithful Catholic. The name is both a homecoming and a commission.

The Logo

The Center's emblem unites the Lakota medicine wheel — quartered in the four sacred colors — with the Celtic Trinity knot and an eagle feather. Two traditions. One faith. Between heaven and earth.

Programs

Retreat Offerings

From silent Ignatian retreats to Native ministry and recovery gatherings, the Center serves a wide and diverse community of seekers from across the region.

Individually Directed

Ignatian Silent Retreat

8-day directed retreat in the Ignatian tradition, with daily meetings with a spiritual director. Deep silence, the Examen, and guided prayer with Scripture.

$75 per person / night

Inquire & Register →

Native Ministry

Native & Recovery Retreats

Retreats honoring Lakota cultural traditions within a Catholic framework of healing and prayer, open to Native communities and those in recovery.

$50 per person / night

Inquire & Register →

$Life in the Spirit Weekend$

Charismatic Renewal

Life in the Spirit Weekend

A weekend retreat focused on renewal in the Holy Spirit, drawing on the Charismatic Renewal tradition within the Catholic Church.

$60 per person / night

Inquire & Register →

$Parish and Group Retreats$

Group & Parish

Parish & Group Retreats

The Center is available for parish groups, deaneries, ministry teams, and other Catholic organizations. Contact us to discuss dates and programming.

$60 per person / night

Formation Program

Covenant School of
Spiritual Direction

A nationally recognized two-year program in the art and ministry of spiritual direction, rooted in Ignatian spirituality and the Catholic tradition. Graduates serve as spiritual directors across the Diocese of Rapid City and beyond.

The program combines intensive residential sessions held at the Center with ongoing personal spiritual direction, theological study, and supervised practicum. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

Learn More & Apply →

$Teaching at the Covenant School$ LaVern Trangmoe CSSD graduation

$Rachel Uhrich CSSD graduation$

Solitary Prayer

The Hermitage Cabin

Our new hermitage cabin offers a rare gift: complete solitude on the open plains of western South Dakota. Designed for individuals seeking extended time alone with God, the hermitage provides a simple, comfortable space for prayer, journaling, fasting, and silence.

Available for stays of 2–8 days. The hermitage operates on a separate inquiry and booking process. Contact us to check availability and discuss your stay.

Inquire About the Hermitage

$Peaceful grounds at the retreat center$

Upcoming

2026 Retreat Calendar

Jul

8-Day Ignatian Silent Retreat

July 12–20 · Individually directed · $75/person/night

Filling

Jul

Life in the Spirit Weekend

July 24–26 · Charismatic Renewal · $60/person/night

Open

Aug

Native Ministry Retreat

Aug 1–4 · Native community · $50/person/night

Open

Aug

50th Anniversary Celebration

August 12, 2026 · All are welcome

Sep

Covenant School — Session 1

Sep 5–8 · Formation program

Open

Support the Mission

Your gift keeps this
sacred place open

The Black Elk Catholic Retreat Center operates with an annual deficit, sustained entirely by the generosity of donors who believe in this ministry. Every gift — of any size — directly funds retreats for Native communities, recovery ministry, formation programs, and the maintenance of this irreplaceable place of prayer on the plains.

Other Ways to Give

📱 Text-to-Donate
Text BLACKELK to [number]

🔲 Scan to Give
QR code at events & bulletins

📈 Stock & DAF Gifts
Through WSDCF

🔄 Recurring Gifts
Monthly or annual

Endowment Campaign

Securing the next 50 years of ministry

$0Goal: $1,500,000

$1,200,000 raised

80% of goal · $300,000 remaining

Endowment gifts are managed through the Western South Dakota Catholic Foundation and provide permanent, protected support for the Center's mission. Contact us for DAF, stock, or planned giving options.

Get In Touch

We would love
to hear from you

Whether you are registering for a retreat, inquiring about the hermitage, planning a group visit, or simply wanting to know more — reach out. We will respond within two business days.

Address
20100 Center Road
Howes, South Dakota 57748

Diocese of Rapid City
Bishop Scott Bullock

Director
Dr. Carole Brown
cbrown@diorc.org

Website
blackelkcrc.org

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Hehaka Sapa ~Black Elk CatholicRetreat Center

A place apart,open to all

Come and see

Nicholas Black Elk1863 – 1950

The Canonization Cause

Why This Name

The Logo

Retreat Offerings

Ignatian Silent Retreat

Native & Recovery Retreats

Life in the Spirit Weekend

Parish & Group Retreats

Covenant School ofSpiritual Direction

The Hermitage Cabin

2026 Retreat Calendar

Your gift keeps thissacred place open

We would loveto hear from you

Hehaka Sapa ~
Black Elk Catholic
Retreat Center

A place apart,
open to all

Nicholas Black Elk
1863 – 1950

Covenant School of
Spiritual Direction

Your gift keeps this
sacred place open

We would love
to hear from you