2019 Women's ACTS Retreat

Oct. 3-6, 2019

Are you looking for strength and wisdom to weather the storms of life? Do you want to embolden your faith life?  Do you want to feel more connected to the St. Clare parish community and the Body of Christ?  If so…have you attended a Women's ACTS retreat yet?  All women are welcome!

If you or someone you know has not attended a Women’s ACTS retreat, please pray about attending the upcoming retreat on October 3-6, 2019.  If you’ve never been on a retreat, or if it has been a long time, don’t miss this opportunity!  An ACTS retreat can change your life!

When: Oct. 3-6, 2019

Where:  Christian Renewal Center, Dickinson

Cost: $240.  The fee includes a double-occupancy room at the Christian Renewal Center in Dickinson for three nights, as well as eight delicious meals.

Financial assistance is available for those in need–don’t let the cost prevent you from experiencing this amazing opportunity to retreat from the world for a weekend and draw closer to God!

More Information:  Contact the retreat leadership:

• Director: Samantha, sammyweaver@me.com
• Co-Director: Lina, lina.p.mueller@gmail.com
• Co-Director: Rosemarie, randid@swbell.net

Registration Form:  There are two ways to register:

• Register online here, or
• Download the registration form and drop-off/mail/fax/email to St. Clare (john.kovacs@stclarehouston.org)

Registration Due: September 19, 2019, at noon

What is ACTS ?

An ACTS Retreat is a parish-based event which offers parishioners an opportunity to experience the love of Jesus Christ. This in turn fosters a desire for intentional discipleship.

ACTS Retreats are given by parishioners for parishioners, and in this way, serve to build Christian community at a parish.      

 The ACTS Retreat begins Thursday evening and ends with Sunday Mass in the parish. While utilizing prayer, service, and teaching, the ACTS Retreat meets people where they are in their spiritual journey and invites them to experience God in a manner that is both personal and communal.

In this way, the ACTS Retreat fulfills the mission of:

"Spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ among Catholic communities through ACTS."

The ACTS Retreat experience is rooted in the Pascal Mystery in that retreatants are invited to reflect on the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Throughout the weekend, they are invited to prayerfully consider how they can respond to His love by spiritually surrendering to Jesus in order to have new life with Him. This invitation is extended through the pillars of the apostolate:

• Adoration: A response to God's love through prayer and worship
• Community: Participating in the One Body of Christ as Church
• Theology: Deepening our relationship with God in order to better fulfill His will 
• Service: Answering the call to discipleship by following the model He gave us

Those who attend an ACTS retreat share in an experience that has impacted more than one million lives worldwide since the first retreat in 1987. There are numerous testimonies describing retreatants who were evangelized through a personal encounter with Jesus Christ. They witness to becoming better fathers, mothers, husbands, wives and children.      

Parishes have been revitalized, diaconate classes have been filled, and all seek to deepen their  relationship with Christ through  prayer and service.

As a result, ACTS is supported by bishops and priests worldwide as a legitimate participant in  the Church's New Evangelization. Through ACTS, the laity respond to their baptismal call, and seek to participate in the apostolic mission of the Church to "go and make disciples of all nations," and this has been found to be good. 

As of October 2017, ACTS Missions is represented worldwide.

• 96 parishes in the Archdiocese of San Antonio
• All 15 dioceses of Texas
• 27 states in the US representing 74 dioceses
• 6 countries including the US: Mexico, Panama, Honduras, South Africa, and Canada, representing 28 international dioceses
• 569 parishes worldwide

Ready to go even deeper?  This amazing silent retreat, which has been radically changing lives for nearly 500 years, walks you through the life of Christ and gives you the opportunity to listen to His voice in your heart.  This weekend version of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, put on by the priests of Miles Christi, includes spiritual talks, time for personal meditation, Mass and the Rosary each day, and opportunity for confessions and individual spiritual direction. The retreat is from 4 pm Friday to 5 pm Sunday.

There are two locations now in Houston!

Next Date: TBD

Mother Theresa said, “If you sincerely want to learn to pray, keep silent. In the silence of the heart, God speaks.” Why not take a break from the stimuli of this world for less than 24 hours—from Friday at 7:00 p.m. to Saturday at 3:00 p.m.—to let God speak to your heart? Join other St. Clare parishioners for a mini-retreat that will include short introductions to different types of silent prayer, group prayer times (in silence), and plenty of time to walk the beautiful grounds of the Villa de Matel or spend some time in one of the interesting prayer rooms inside. Meals are included.

For those who are completely new to the Ruah Center, and have never been on a Day of Prayer or an overnight Retreat there, you are asked to come on Saturday morning at 9:00 a.m. Once you’ve been to this Day of Prayer, then for all future retreats you’ll be able to come the night before and stay the night.

The St. Clare Silent Retreat is offered once per year, usually in the January to March time-frame. If you missed it this year, please consider joining us next year!

When: TBD

Time: 7:00 p.m. Friday to 3:00 p.m. Saturday (newcomers should arrive at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday morning)

Where: Ruah Center, Villa de Matel, 6510 Lawndale St., Houston, TX 77023 • 713-928-6053

Cost: By donation only, at the end of the retreat at the Ruah Center (or by mail-in envelope, which you will receive)

Register: Registration is not yet open for this retreat.

Retreats and support for all married couples, sponsored by the Worldwide Marriage Encounter – Houston. The “Houston South” dates are held at the Christian Renewal Center in Dickinson. For more information, and to register online for one of the retreats, go to the Worldwide Marriage Encounter – Houston website.

Retrouvaille is a program to Help Couples Heal and Renew their Marriages.

• Do you feel lost, alone, or bored in your marriage?
• Are you frustrated, hurt, or angry with your spouse?
• Are you constantly fighting? Or, do you simply shut down?
• Have you thought about separation or divorce?
• Does talking about it only make it worse?

This program is for couples with marital problems that want marriage help. Those who are considering marriage separation and those who are already separated or divorced are encouraged to consider the Retrouvaille Program. There is always hope of reviving your relationship.

Some couples come to Retrouvaille during the initial signs of a marriage problem. Other couples are in a state of despair and hopelessness when they attend the program.

Many lawyers and judges send couples to Retrouvaille as a prerequisite to filing for a divorce or rendering final decisions. Many marriage counselors and family therapists send their clients to Retrouvaille as a prerequisite to counseling. These professionals know that the tools of communication in marriage taught in the program are often what couples need.

The Retrouvaille program is for husbands and wives and is not designed nor intended for couples in a co-habitating relationship.

Retrouvaille provides marriage help! Find out more by going to the Retrouvaille website.