Retreats and Courses 2025
Here at the Loreto Spirituality Centre, we have a wide range of options depending on your needs. Please use the links below or scroll to find out more information.
Most of our retreats begin with supper at 6 pm on the first day and finish after breakfast on the last day. Weekend retreats finish after lunch unless otherwise stated. All of 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.
If you are a group wishing to book with us please click here for more information.
Our suggested offerings can be found by clicking here, or following the link at the top of the page.
Preached Retreats
12th – 19th May
Led by: Fr John Udris
Conversion: Climbing the Seven-Storey Mountain with the Saints
Canon John is parish priest of St Peter’s Church, Marlow. He is a spiritual director, retreat giver and author of books and articles on spirituality, with a special interest in the Catholic mystical tradition.
1st – 8th July
Led by: Fr Peter Verity
Finding our Hidden Treasure
Fr Peter is a priest of the Lancaster Diocese. Now retired, he has been a spiritual director at the Beda College in Rome and a retreat giver in England, Rome and the Middle East. He is now a guest director of Individually Guided Retreats at St Beuno’s Spirituality Centre.
12th – 19th August
Led by: Fr Brendan Comerford SJ
Mystics through the Ages – A reflective retreat based on the lives and spirituality of some disciples of courage. The talks will include reflections on The Beguines, Jane de Chantal, Mary Ward, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, John XXIII and Oscar Romero.
Brendan is a Jesuit priest and a writer and teacher of Christian spirituality. He is a former lecturer in the History of Spirituality at the Milltown Institute in Dublin and is now Priest-in-Charge in Saint Francis Xavier’s Church in Dublin.
Individually Guided Retreats
All IGRs begin with supper at 6 pm on the day of arrival. 6 and 8-day retreats end with breakfast on the last day. 4-day midweek retreats end with lunch on Friday.
January 20th – 29th
For the full 8-day retreat, the suggested offering is £675.
April 28th – 7th May
June 23rd – 30th
July 19th – 28th
8-day retreat
August 2nd – 11th
September 15th – 24th
October 6th – 10th
November 4th – 13th
December 12th – 18th
From the 20th to the 31st of August it is possible to book in for an individually guided retreat for any length of time. Please ask for details.
Individually Guided Retreats may be possible online at any time of the year. These may take the format of a silent retreat or a retreat in daily life. For more information please contact the Centre.
Themed Retreats
All themed retreats begin with supper at 6pm on the day of arrival and end with lunch on Sunday unless otherwise stated.
Praying with Mary Ward
21st – 23rd February
‘I saw Him…go into my heart and little by little hide Himself…’
Praying alongside Mary Ward.
Drawing on Mary Ward’s writings as well as her faith story, this retreat offers the opportunity to pray through our own particular history alongside hers.
This retreat will end at 2 pm on Sunday.
Led by: Josette Zammit-Mangion IBVM
Praying with Elizabeth of the Trinity and Ann Griffiths
28th February – 2nd March
Elizabeth of the Trinity (1880-1906) was a French Carmelite nun and Ann Griffiths (1776–1805) a Welsh Protestant, best known for her hymns. They were separated by time, place, background and religious context but are strongly united in their devotion to God and their love for him. The retreat will introduce these two exceptional writers and their work, exploring their sense of God, their desire for him as a motivating factor in their lives, and their relationship with Jesus Christ. The focus will be on reflection and application, allowing time to enjoy the tranquillity of the Retreat Centre and its beautiful surroundings.
Led by: Ioan ap Dewi OCDS and Ewa Bem IBVM
Ioan Ap Dewi OCDS, a native of North Wales, is a Carmelite linked to a secular community in Rock Ferry. He is interested in the interplay between Christian traditions, and how writings from across traditional boundaries reflect and express individuals’ relationships with God.
Moved by the Spirit
30th May – 1st June
As we approach the feast of Pentecost, this retreat is an invitation to explore the transforming work of the Spirit in our personal lives and our world using Scripture, Poetry and Music. There will be guided reflections and time for personal prayer.
This retreat will end at 2 pm on Sunday.
Led by: Josette Zammit-Mangion IBVM and Bernadette Turtle IBVM
Where is God in All This?
5th – 7th September
A Creative Retreat, reflecting on where God is in my Life.
This retreat offers a space to notice God’s presence and action in my life, using whatever creative means lie open before us. We will draw on music, words and colour to help us to pray, and if you like photography, bring your camera or mobile phone!
Led by: Barbara Martin and Ewa Bem IBVM
Dreaming in the Sand…. Sandplay, Dreams and Wellbeing retreat
25th – 28th September
Dreams can be a fascinating encounter with our depths, and for Jung, they were an important route to engaging with the soul.
This retreat will combine the use of the poetry of Jan Richardson, sandplay*, and a gentle way of sharing and understanding our dreams as a spiritual practice. There will be time for silence for individual prayer, and the use of Wellbeing** practices to facilitate renewal and healing.
*sandplay – sometimes likened to a “waking dream”, this involves reflective activity using individual sand trays and a range of miniature objects
** Wellbeing practices are taken from Capacitar, an international organisation promoting health, balance, and renewal through a range of gentle movement and healing practices.
Led by: Anne Harrison
'Life to the Full': Praying with the Gospel of John
17th – 19th October
A silent retreat drawing on John’s Gospel to reflect on our life with God who so loved the world. The days will include Gospel reflections, Eucharist, and time for personal prayer.
This retreat will end at 2 pm on Sunday.
Led by: Josette Zammit-Mangion IBVM
A Weekend of Renewal for Those Journeying on the 12 Step Programme
31st October – 3rd November
Grant me the Serenity
The weekend will be a chance to listen, share and reflect with each other around this theme, with times of individual and collective prayer, and social time for those who want it. We will also use the gentle healing of Wellbeing** practices to enhance renewal, balance and our spiritual journey, giving time for deepening and relaxation. These practices include adapted Tai Chi, meditation and visualisation, EFT (emotional freedom technique), self-acupressure, work with energy centres of the body, and some gentle movement, including Circle Dancing.
This retreat ends after breakfast on Monday 3rd November.
Led by: Anne Harrison
Space to Grieve
14th – 16th November
This is a weekend for those who are grieving for someone who has died. There will be opportunities to share our stories, reflect and pray together and plenty of space for you. 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.
This retreat will end at 3 pm on Sunday.
Led by: Ewa Bem IBVM and the Loreto Centre Team
Holy Week Retreat
16th – 20th 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
Advent Retreats
Advent Weekend Retreat
28th – 30th November
God’s Choice: ‘God loved the world so much…’ (John 3:16)
Mary’s Choice: ‘Let it be done to me according to your word.’ (Luke 1:38)
What is my choice this Advent?
Led by: Ewa Bem IBVM & Josette Zammit-Mangion IBVM
Advent Triduum
8th – 12th December
Prepare the Way of the Lord
It is not we who prepare for Advent so much as God preparing us, through the images and texts of this wonderful season, to receive the Word Made Flesh into our lives anew. Come and explore Advent themes and readings and discover what God is offering you this Christmas.
This is a silent retreat.
Led by: Gemma Simmonds CJ
Courses
Understanding Our Everyday Beliefs
12th – 15th March
The Lenten Season calls us to reflect on our relationship with God and to a deeper understanding of our faith. These days offer an opportunity for an exploration of some aspects of our beliefs in a prayerful context. They will include talks and plenty of time for discussion and questions. There will be an opportunity for daily Mass.
For more information please click the following link: https://loretocentre.org.uk/understanding-our-everyday-beliefs/
Living Theology Summer School
10th – 13th July
Living Theology: A Summer School in Christian Faith
A Summer School in Christian Faith. Living Theology has been organised by Jesuits and their associates in venues across the country for over 50 years. The courses continue to provide opportunities for Christians of all denominations to deepen their understanding of the Christian faith and develop their personal reflection on Christian living and belief. No prior theological knowledge is required, just an open mind and willingness to engage.
More information to follow.
Full Spiritual Exercises
Full Spiritual Exercises
(30 Day Retreat, in stages, or in daily life).
By private arrangement. Please ask for details.
Ongoing Spiritual Direction
Spiritual direction may be available on a long-term basis, in person or on Zoom.
Please use the contact form at the bottom of the page to request further information.
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.