Retreats and Courses 2023
Here at the Loreto Spirituality Centre, we have a wide range of options available depending on your needs. Please use the links below or scroll to find out more information.
All our retreats begin with supper at 6 pm on the day of arrival and finish after breakfast on the day of departure. Weekend retreats finish after lunch. All our accommodation is en-suite. Our retreats are fully catered. We can provide for a wide range of dietary needs, please let us know your requirements upon booking.
On the day of your departure we ask that you vacate your room by 9.30 am. You are welcome to use the communal areas after this time.
Please note that 6-day retreats are 7 nights and 8-day retreats are 9 nights. Day 1 of the retreat is the first full day of your stay and the last day of the retreat is the day before your departure.
If you are a group wishing to book a stay or conference with us please click here for more information.
All of our suggested offerings can be found by clicking here, or following the link at the top of the page.
Preached Retreats
20th – 24th March
Lenten Triduum
Praying Matthew’s Gospel in Lent
led by Fr Nicholas King SJ
3rd – 10th July
Led by: Fr Perry Gildea CM
“Life as a Pilgrimage or Journey?”
Perry is a Vincentian priest based in Belfast. He has extensive experience as a Spiritual Director and University Chaplain as well as having served as a parish priest in London. He is the Regional Spiritual Advisor of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Perry is a member of the Adult Faith Development team at Drumalis, developing and delivering programmes in collaboration with St. Mary’s University College, Belfast.
7th – 14th August
Led by: Fr Peter Verity (Diocese of Lancaster)
“Glimpses of God”
Peter is a priest of the Lancaster Diocese. For the past eleven years, he has been the spiritual director at the Pontifical Beda College in Rome. He has extensive experience in giving retreats in England, Rome and the Middle East.
4th – 8th December
Advent Triduum
Led by Fr Tim Dean (Diocese of Westminster)
More information to follow
Individually Guided Retreats
April 17th – 26th
April 17th – 21st
May 5th – 7th
Weekend Retreat
Lord, teach us to pray: a silent Individually Guided Retreat with workshops on prayer.
July 17th – 24th
July 25th – August 3rd
August 16th – 25th
Ewa Bem IBVM
September 11th – 20th
September 11th – 15th
November 7th – 16th
Individually Guided Retreats may be possible online at any time of the year. These may take the format of a silent retreat, or else a retreat in daily life. For more information please contact the Centre.
30 Day Spiritual Exercises
Full Spiritual Exercises
(30 Day Retreat or can be made in daily life).
By private arrangement.
Ongoing Spiritual Direction
Spiritual direction is available on a long-term basis.
Please contact us for more information.
Living Theology Summer School
June 30th – July 2nd
Living Theology: A Summer School in Christian Faith
An opportunity to deepen our knowledge of the Christian faith, learn new and helpful ways of looking at the Christian tradition, and develop a personal reflection on Christian living and belief.
You can find more information about the courses as well as a booking form by clicking the following link:
Living Theology Summer School 2023
At the moment, there are no available residential places for this course. However, we are still accepting bookings for non-residential places. If you’re interested in making a residential booking, we do have a waiting list in place.
Themed Retreats
Holy Week Retreat
5th – 9th April
An opportunity to celebrate the liturgies of Holy Week in the context of a prayerful retreat. The preparation of the liturgies will be the main focus for the day. There will be a daily morning prayer, with suggestions for personal reflection and plenty of quiet time for those who wish.
Led by the Loreto Centre Team
School of Meditation/Comtemplative Retreat
16th – 25th August
This silent Contemplative Retreat with individual guidance provides a step-by-step introduction to the Gries Path of Prayer developed by Fr Franz Jalics SJ. For those familiar with this form of contemplative prayer, the retreat offers the opportunity to refresh and deepen it.
Led by Paddy Rylands & Team
Please use the contact form below if you would like more information and/or an application form.
'I shall live and recount your wondrous deeds'
8th – 10th September
A weekend of prayer and reflection discovering the interconnection of our story with the Scriptural Texts.
Led by Teresa Brittain nds.
Sister Teresa Brittain, a sister of the Congregation of Our Lady of Sion, based in Manchester. She has a Personal passion for scripture and for discovering ways to explore our personal stories with the Word of God.
Wellbeing Weekend
22nd – 24th September
This weekend will offer time and space for quiet reflection and gentle, mindful body movement for recharging, healing and finding joy in everyday life. Through focus on aspects of creation during the weekend, we can be nourished by a renewed sense of our own strength and wisdom, in harmony with our planet Earth.
Led by Anne Harrison
Film Retreat
25th – 29th September
Community Church: A midweek retreat, using a selection of films to help our reflection.
What does the idea of ‘community’ mean to us today?
A group of people who communicate via the internet?
A collective who share the same ideas or interests but may never meet?
Or a local population who know and support each other?
During this retreat, we will use film to reflect on such questions in our society and church. There will be time for individual reflection, as well as sharing in the group.
Led by Una Coogan IBVM
Visio Divina
16th – 20th October
A midweek retreat, using our smartphone or camera as a window to encounter the divine within the ordinary.
Discover the power of your camera or smartphone to see God within the ordinary. This retreat is for anyone with a camera or smartphone and will help you discover the art of contemplative photography, using image as modern icons. No photographic skills are required, simply a camera you can use. There is a mindful-photographic prayer walk each day but for those who find walking more challenging exercises can be practised around the house & gardens. Retreatants will receive one printed photo after each prayer walk.
Led by Steve Radley
Steve Radley is an Anglican priest, trained professional photographer and members ambassador for the Guild of Photographers. A military veteran he found healing from his military experiences through photography. His experience of war left him with a passion to help people find peace by seeing in new ways. This desire saw Steve pioneer a new direction in his ministry using image to promote resilience and build relationships through his organisation, Soulful Vision.
21st October
A day of prayer: Visio Divina. Led by Steve Radley
Space to Grieve
17th – 19th November
A weekend for those who are grieving someone who has died. There will be opportunities to share our stories, reflect and pray together, and plenty of space for yourselves. Individual accompaniment will be available.
Please ensure that at least six months have elapsed since the death of your loved one before coming on this retreat.
Led by Rev. Kate le Sueur & Ewa Bem IBVM
Kate is a Methodist presbyter who has worked most of her ministry in chaplaincy and is currently Head of Chaplaincy (North) at Methodist Homes. Kate has developed a particular interest in end-of-life care and bereavement support.
Ewa is an IBVM Sister working in retreats and spiritual direction at Loreto Centre. She has a particular interest in bereavement support.
Praying with Julian of Norwich
27th November – 1st December
Preparation for Advent using the writings of Julian of Norwich.
This will be a silent retreat with daily talks, and an opportunity to share in groups for those who wish. There will be an opportunity for daily Mass.
Led by Gemma Simmonds CJ
Gemma is a sister of the Congregation of Jesus. She is a spiritual director and a lecturer in Pastoral Theology, Spirituality and Ecclesiology. Currently, she works at the Margaret Beaufort Institute of Theology in Cambridge.
Advent Triduum
4th – 8th December
If you would like any further information about our retreats or would like to make a booking please use the form to get in touch with us.
Make sure you press the submit button at the bottom of the form to send your message. Also please check that your email address is correct or we may not be able to contact you.