Weekend Retreat
The Search for Truth:
St Edith Stein
14th - 16th March 2025
Exploring the life and teaching of St Edith Stein
Led by Fr Matthew Blake, OCD
This retreat explores the life and faith of St Edith Stein (also called Teresa Benedicta of the Cross), a convert from Judaism who was executed in the gas chambers of Auschwitz. Born into a large Jewish family in Poland in 1891, she rejected God as a teenager, but her brilliant mind and her turn to philosophy eventually led her to recognise the truth through a reading of the life of St Teresa of Avila.
From there, she gravitated to the works of St Thomas Aquinas to further her new-found knowledge, continuing her life-long quest for meaning and truth in the light of her baptism and reception into the Church in 1922.
Edith joined the Carmelite monastery in Cologne when her teaching mission to Catholic women was blocked by the Nazis on the grounds of her Jewish heritage. She was moved for her own safety to the Carmel in Echt, Holland, but was rounded up with other Jewish converts to Catholicism by the Nazis, and taken to Auschwitz for execution in 1942.
Retreat structure
This retreat will offer several talks over the weekend, framed by opportunities for Mass, communal prayer in the morning and evening, and Adoration.
Free time for walks and reflection is built into each retreat.
Meet our retreat guide
Fr Matthew Blake is a Carmelite priest. Originally from Ireland, he has lived and worked in the UK for more than thirty years. His ministry has mainly involved retreat direction, for which he is well-known in the UK, and he has also worked in many different parishes.
About the venue
Theodore House offers a wonderful venue for any residential course. The tranquil and beautiful surroundings of the Stonyhurst estate offer a peaceful setting with endless opportunities for walks. Guests will enjoy the comfortable recreational spaces and a beautifully lanscaped garden.
For more information about Theodore House, please click here.
Timings
- Arrivals from 3pm for a 6pm start on Friday
- Departures from 3pm on Sunday
Cost (per retreat)
Single room: £230 p.p.*
Twin room (sharing): £175 p.p.*
Non-residential (includes lunches and dinners): £115
*Costs include full board from Friday dinner to Sunday lunch inclusive.
“Fr Matt is a brilliant teacher”
“This was an amazing experience, great speaker, comfortable venue.”
Please register below (includes £50p.p. deposit payment):
Venue & Getting to us:
If you are reliant on public transport, please consider traveling by train to Preston train station. From there, we aim to co-ordinate minicab shares or lifts amongst participants of any given event. If you require further advice or assistance, email us: [email protected]