Weekend Retreat
The Martyr-Saints
of the North-West
12th - 14th September 2025
Exploring the lives of the region's Reformation saints
A weekend’s reflection on the Catholic legacy of the Salford area, led by Mgr John Allen, Diocese of Salford
Part-retreat, part-biographical study, the aim of this weekend is to draw closer to the saintly martyrs and confessors of the region from the Reformation era.
The North-West was a hotbed of Catholic recusancy during the Protestant Reformation, with a remarkable number of priests and lay men and women being prepared to pay the ultimate price for confessing their faith in Christ’s Church. Amongst these were such figures as St John Southworth, who grew up at the nearby Salmesbury Hall, was executed at Tyburn, London in 1654, and is named as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales.
The retreat will offer a historical and biographical examination of some of the leading confessors of the Catholic faith, as well as a spiritual reflection on their lives and on the cost of witnessing to the faith today.
Mgr John Allen has recently published “A Popular History of the Salford Diocese”, with a foreword by Eamon Duffy, and is eminently equipped to offer a closer study of the lives of area’s Catholic life.
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
Born and brought up in Greater Manchester, Mgr John Allen trained for the priesthood at the Venerable English College, studying at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He served as archivist at the Venerabile and trained in the Scuola Vaticana di Paleografia e Diplomatica at the Vatican Archives. Present in St Peter’s at the opening of the Second Vatican Council on 11 October 1962, he was ordained priest that same month. He has served in the diocese of Salford as curate and parish priest and for eighteen years was secretary to Bishop Thomas Holland. Pope St Paul VI appointed him a papal chaplain in 1977. In 1982 Pope St John Paul II named him a prelate of honour. Elected to the Old Brotherhood of the English Secular Clergy in 1999, he has been president since 2014. Publications include The English Hospice in Rome (ed.), The International Eucharistic Congresses: A Spiritual Odyssey 1881-2016, Palazzola 1920-2020, A Popular History of the Salford Diocese and Pilgrims of Hope: Out and About in the Salford Diocese.
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.
“Very informative and thought-provoking”
“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]