• ACTS
• Spiritual Exercises
• Marriage Encounter
• Retrouvaille:  A Lifeline for Marriages
• Rachel's Vineyard
• Featherock

ACTS Retreat

Date TBA

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 Men's ACTS retreat, please pray about attending the next retreat!  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: TBA

Where:  Christian Renewal Center, Dickinson

Cost: TBD.  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 ACTS Core Team, Tom, tpermet1@yahoo.com

Registration Form:  REGISTRATION IS NOT YET OPEN

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

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, retreatants 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 are represented worldwide.

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

Spiritual Exercises

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, daily Mass, the Rosary each day, and opportunity for confessions and individual spiritual direction. The retreat is from 4:00 pm Friday to 5:00 pm Sunday.

Location: Mount Carmel House of Prayer (9600 Deer Trail Dr., Houston, TX 77038)

Contact : texas@spiritualexercises.net, or 858-263-5113

Women: February 18-20, 2022
          Register: www.mileschristi.org/event/houston-tx-2

Men: March 25-27, 2022
          Register: www.mileschristi.org/event/houston-tx-men-7
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Marriage Encounter

Retrouvaille: A lifeline for Marriages 

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 who want help. Those who are considering separation and even those who are already separated or divorced are encouraged to consider the Retrouvaille Program. There is always hope of reviving your relationship.  "With God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26).

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.  It 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.

Rachel's Vineyard
Post-Abortion Healing

For many the experience of an abortion is devastating, causing severe and long-term emotional, psychological, and spiritual trauma.  Abortion is often described by women and men as a traumatic loss; as a result, prolonged and unresolved grief and other post-traumatic problems can occur.

 "The Church is aware of the many factors which may have influenced your decision, and she does not doubt that in many cases it was a painful and shattering decision. The wound in your heart may not have yet healed. Certainly what happened remains terribly wrong. But do not give in to discouragement and do not lose hope" 

-- St. John Paul II,  Evangelium Vitae

The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston offers a network of services to support the needs of those seeking healing. Our team includes trained clergy, mental health professionals and laypersons available to offer support. Healing support services include:

• Rachel's Vineyard Weekend Retreat
• Multi-week Support Groups
• Referrals for individual counseling and spiritual direction

Next Retreat: August 19-21, 2022

A Catholic retreat for women and men who suffer after abortion. All inquiries and registrations are strictly confidential. For more information or to register please call 713.741.8728 or email jkfritsch@archgh.org.  All program locations and inquiries are strictly confidential.  

CLICK HERE FOR THE FLYER

Other helpful web pages:

• Post-Abortion Healing 
• Hope After Abortion 
• "How to talk to a friend who's had an abortion"
• Rachel's Vineyard - Houston

Catholic Retreats at Featherock Conference Center

Looking for a quiet and inspirational spiritual retreat?  You can find it at Featherock Conference Center, located in Schulenburg, TX.

The retreats are geared for people living in the workday world:  professionals, homemakers, and students alike.  The beautiful and peaceful surroundings on 100 acres of land foster an atmosphere of prayer and silent reflection.  The activities of the retreat include Holy Mass, opportunity for the sacrament of reconciliation and spiritual direction, Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Rosary, and spiritual conferences conducted by a priest of Opus Dei (a Prelature of the Catholic Church).  Return home energized with renewed vigor and practical resolutions.

Visit www.featherock.net for more information or to register for a specific retreat.
 

updated 2-7-2022/jwk