The Christian Heritage Centre

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Clergy Events Retreats

In the Footsteps of the Great Saintly Priests

Clergy retreat

In the Footsteps
of the Great Saintly Priests

Monday 14th - Friday 18th October [2024]

Reflections on St John Fisher, St John Vianney and St Padre Pio

Preached by Fr Armand de Malleray, FSSP

“The priest is not a priest for himself; he does not give himself absolution; he does not administer the Sacraments to himself. He is not for himself, he is for you… where there is no longer any priest there is no sacrifice, and where there is no longer any sacrifice there is no religion.” (Saint John Vianney) 

The saints offer models and examplars of holiness for every walk of life: a particularly worthy focus during this Year of Prayer.

This retreat will pick out some of the great priest saints of Europe – St John Fisher, St John Vianney and St Pio of Pietrelcina – to offer a reflection on the character and ministry of the priestly life.

St John Fisher stands as a reformation-era St John the Baptist, most recognised for his objection to King Henry VIII’s divorce of Catherine of Aragon and for his subsequent refusal to acknowledge Anne Boleyn’s daughter as heir to the throne. A cameo ring depicting Aristotle, which belonged to John Fisher, is held at Stonyhurst, having been presented to the College by relatives of Fisher in the 19th century. 

The ring will be loaned for the retreat by the College to the CHC, in order to accompany the clergy during this time of prayer.

St John Vianney also experienced the turmoil and upheaval of religious life brought about in his own country, by the French Revolution. Known for his tirelessness in reconciling people to God, he is rightly upheld as a model of a curator of souls.

St Pio of Pietrelcina is widely known for the gifts he received of the stigmata and of spiritual insight, and his profound piety and charity.

Cameo ring owned by St John Fisher
  • Secular and religious clergy, deacons and seminarians welcome!
  • The retreat will be preached, with two talks every day (one on Monday afternoon and one on Friday morning)
  • There will be opportunities for confession
  • Clergy are welcome to celebrate Mass individually and in whichever rite, or to concelebrate 
  • Theodore House Oratory and St Peter’s Church available for the celebration of Mass
  • Daily Holy Hour and Compline

Fr Armand de Malleray began his ministry in the Southwark Archdiocese in 2001. He has been giving clergy retreats at various venues in England and abroad for over two decades. Formerly rector of St Mary’s Shrine in the Liverpool Archdiocese, he is now based in Bedford. He is the author of the following books:

Theodore House offers a wonderful venue for any retreat. The tranquil and beautiful surroundings of the Stonyhurst estate offer a peaceful setting and endless opportunities for walks.

All accommodation is en-suite, with comfortable facilities and a beautifully lanscaped garden.

For more information about Theodore House, please click here.

Arrivals are welcome on the Monday from 1pm for a 3pm start.

Departures on Friday are from 3pm.

Cost:

£375 (includes single, en-suite room and full board)

Please register below (deposit payment required):
Venue:

Categories
Events Retreats

What We Have Seen and Heard in Heaven [weekend retreat]

Weekend Retreat

"What We Have Seen and Heard in Heaven"

13th - 15th September 2024

A retreat on faith, art, and Catholic culture

Led by Fr Dominic White OP, with Joey Belleza PhD (Cantab.)

Are you a practitioner of the arts, a teacher of artistic disciplines, or a student with a strong interest in the connection between faith and creativity? Join Fr Dominic White OP and Dr Joey Belleza at the Christian Heritage Centre for this special, intensive retreat on faith, art, and Catholic culture. Covering the areas of music, dance, poetry, and visual art, “What We Have Seen and Heard in Heaven” will explore key theological foundations for a proper understanding of art and its place in Christian life.

The retreat will culminate with Sunday Mass and the debut musical performance of “Synaxis,” a sonnet by Dr Belleza, set to a four-part choral setting composed Fr Dominic!

While primarily aimed at Christian artists, teachers, and students of the arts, the retreat remains open to all inclined toward deepening their appreciation for the relationship between faith and art, rooted in Incarnational and sacramental principles.

A LIMITED SPECIAL DISCOUNT FOR UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IS AVAILABLE:  see below for pricing information.

This retreat will offer several talks over the weekend, framed by opportunities for Mass, communal prayer in the morning and evening, and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. At least one Mass in the Dominican Rite will be offered.

Free time for walks and reflection is built into each retreat, and all meals during the retreat are provided in the Theodore House refectory.

Fr Dominic White is a priest of the Order of Preachers and Prior of Saint Dominic’s in North London. He is also Acting Director of Research at the Margaret Beaufort Institute of Theology in the Cambridge Theological Federation, and Research Fellow of the Kirby Laing Centre for Public Theology. Additionally he is founder of the Cosmos Dance Project and patron of the Eliot Smith Dance Company. Fr Dominic’s research interests include theology and the arts, sophiology (Wisdom theology), and the relationship between faith and culture.

 

Dr Joey Belleza is a philosopher and theologian, and CHC Assistant for Marketing & Communications. His research interests span the areas of Thomism, Franciscan studies, medieval mysticism, Church history, and sacramental-liturgical theology in general. His recent doctoral dissertation contrasted the poetics of Saint Thomas Aquinas with the poetics of the Franciscan friars Saint Bonaventure and Iacopone da Todi, viewed in light of their competing receptions of Neoplatonic metaphysics as formulated by the mysterious sixth century writer known as Dionysius the Areopagite.

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.

  • Arrivals from 3pm for a 6pm start on Friday
  • Departures from 3pm on Sunday
Cost (per retreatant)

Single room: £210 per person*

Twin room (sharing): £150 per person.*

Non-residential (includes lunches and dinners): £90 per person

DISCOUNT FOR UNIVERSITY STUDENTS (incl. postgrads!)
10 places in five twin rooms & 5 single rooms: 
Twin (shared): £ 100 per person*; Single room: £180 per person* 

*Costs include full board from Friday dinner to Sunday lunch inclusive.

“This was an amazing experience, great speaker, comfortable venue, with great staff and activities.”

Please register below (£50 deposit payment per person):
Venue:

Categories
Events Retreats

Praying with Saint Francis

Weekend Retreat

Praying with
Saint Francis of Assisi

19th - 21st July 2024

"Learn from me" (Mt 11:29):
Following Jesus in the footsteps of Francis of Assisi

Led by Fr Emmanuel Mansford, CFR

Francis of Assisi remains one of the most beloved saints of all time. His love for the natural world, for his fellow human beings, and for the poor and suffering Christ have gained for him a wide appeal among Christians and non-Christians alike. Moreover, his love and devotion for the Church and her sacraments (especially the Eucharist), stood at the heart of his radically-new-yet-faithfully-Catholic way of life.

We are delighted to welcome the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal to preach this weekend retreat on Saint Francis.

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.

Fr Emmanuel Mansford is originally from a small village in Bedfordshire. He joined the Franciscan of the Renewal in the Bronx, NY in 1998 and made his solemn vows in 2003.  Ordained a priest in 2007, he lived for several years in the friary in the East End of London where he served as the local superior. In 2014 he became the vocation director for the friars and lived in New York City where he was involved in the friars apostolates of preaching the Gospel and serving the needy.  He has a passion for preaching and people and loves to see God’s people encounter Him and come to life through the Gospel.  He also enjoys playing and watching football and is a boyhood fan of Luton Town FC. He recently moved back to the UK to serve with the friars in their mission in Bradford.

Br. Mariano Bonaventura CFR is from Brazil and has lived in Mexico, Honduras, and the USA. Currently residing in England, he holds a keen interest in the theology of Saint Bonaventure.

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.

  • Arrivals from 3pm for a 6pm start on Friday
  • Departures from 3pm on Sunday
Cost (per retreat)

Single room: £210 p.p.*

Twin room (sharing): £150 p.p.*

Non-residential (includes lunches and dinners): £90

*Costs include full board from Friday dinner to Sunday lunch inclusive.

“The content of the talks and delivery by the retreat guide was exceptional.”

Please register below (includes £50 p.p. deposit payment):
Venue:

Categories
Events Retreats

Be still and know that I am God

Weekend Retreat

'Be still and know
that I am God'

21st - 24th November 2024

Exploring Mindfulness, Psychology and the Christian life

Led by Fr Roger Dawson, SJ, Liz Lord and Steve Noone

This weekend explores the human condition through your own life story, in the context of the Gospel and the Christian spiritual life, using mindfulness skills and contemplative Christian prayer.

In its methodology, this retreat seeks to reclaim practices that are common to mindfulness for the Christian tradition of contemplative prayer. In particular, mindfuless practices share common ground with the tradition of apophatic prayer and theology that is deeply rooted in the monastic and the Eastern Orthodox traditions.

The retreat will make use of such practices to help participants gain a greater awareness of their own experiences, to exercise a discipline of the mind, and to place them on the threshold of prayer, with an attentiveness and disposition to God’s presence.

This retreat will offer several talks over the weekend, framed by Mass, communal prayer in the morning and evening, and Adoration.

Free time for walks and reflection is built into each retreat.

‍Fr Roger Dawson SJ is a Jesuit priest, previously Director of St Beuno’s Jesuit Spirituality Centre. He is trained as a clinical psychologist and has a long experience as retreat and spiritual director. He is currently the Superior of the Jesuits in Scotland.

 

 

 

Liz Lord is a tutor on the MSt in Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) at the University of Oxford. Formerly she was an assistant head teacher and has worked in education at all levels.

 

 

 

Steve Noone is a recently retired clinical psychologist who has used mindfulness skills extensively in his practice and teaching.

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.

Thursday

  • Arrivals from 3pm
  • Retreat commences with Welcome & Orientation at 6:30pm followed by dinner

Sunday

  • Departures from 2pm
Cost (per retreat)

Single room: £380 p.p.*

Twin room (sharing): £290 p.p.*

*Costs include full board from Thursday dinner to Sunday lunch inclusive.

I am deeply grateful for this experience

“The ability of the course leaders to recognise the direction that God was taking us and the insight to go with it made this retreat stand out”

Please register below (includes £50 p.p. deposit payment):
Venue:

Categories
Events Retreats

Praying with Saint Dominic

Weekend Retreat

Praying with
Saint Dominic

1st - 3rd November 2024

A weekend with St Dominic, Our Lady and the Rosary

Preached by Fr Lawrence Lew, OP

We are delighted to offer one of our “Praying with the Saints” retreats to coincide with the great Solemnity of All Saints.

This retreat explores the life and faith of St Dominic de Guzman. Dominic was noted for combating the Albigensian heresy, which saw the material order, including the human body, as evil. Dominic is well-known as the founder of the Order of Preachers (the Dominicans), whose objective was to continue safeguarding the Catholic faith, and also for having received the rosary from Our Lady.

The retreat will thus also offer a focus on Dominic’s Marian spirituality and the role of the Rosary in Christian prayer.

Retreatants will also have the opportunity to experience Mass in the Dominican Rite on the Saturday, when the Souls of the Faithful Departed will be commemorated (All Souls).

Mass for the Solemnity of All Saints (a Holy Day of Obligation) will be offered on the Friday at 5:30pm as an option.

This retreat will offer several talks over the weekend, framed by Mass, communal prayer in the morning and evening, and Adoration.

Mass will be offered in the Dominican Rite on the Saturday (All Souls) and in the Novus Ordo (Ordinary form) on the Sunday.

Free time for walks and reflection is built into each retreat.

Fr Lawrence Lew is the General Promoter of the Rosary and the Rosary Confraternity for the Dominican Order throughout the world. He is author of ‘Mysteries Made Visible: Praying the Rosary with Sacred Art’ (Catholic Truth Society, 2021), and has lectured in Mariology and Apologetics at Blackfriars Hall in Oxford. He is a well-known photographer of sacred art, and he is currently working on his third book, commissioned by OSV on the symbolism of church architecture and the saints in art.

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.

Friday

  • Arrivals from 3pm
  • (Optional) Mass for the Solemnity of All Saints at 5:30pm
  • Retreat commences with Welcome & Orientation at 6:30pm followed by dinner

Sunday

  • Departures from 3pm
Cost (per retreat)

Single room: £210 p.p.*

Twin room (sharing): £150 p.p.*

Non-residential (includes lunches and dinners): £90

*Costs include full board from Friday dinner to Sunday lunch inclusive.

“Very well organised. A very spiritual experience.”

“The content of the talks and delivery was exceptional!”

Please register below (includes £50 p.p. deposit payment):
Venue:

Categories
Clergy Events Retreats

The Priest as Spouse and Bridegroom

Clergy retreat

Priest: Spouse and Bridegroom

Monday 8th - Friday 12th April [2024]

A reflection on the priesthood as manifestation of Christ's spousal love for the Church

Preached by Fr Anthony Doe of the Diocese of Westminister

“The priest is called to be the living image of Jesus Christ, the Spouse of the Church… to live out Christ’s spousal love towards the Church, his Bride.” (Saint John Paul II, Pastores Dabo Vobis 22) 

The retreat will focus on the priest’s identification with Christ as the bridegroom of His bride, the Church. It will consider the priesthood in its spousal character, beginning with the priest’s configuration to Christ and his participation in Christ’s love for his Church through pastoral charity. Priestly celibacy will then be considered as the expression of a man’s self-gift in the priesthood, as founded on an intimate friendship with Christ.

  • Secular and religious clergy, deacons and seminarians welcome!
  • The retreat will be preached, with opportunities for confession.
  • Clergy are welcome to celebrate Mass individually at their own time or to concelebrate, using both Theodore House Oratory and St Peter’s Church.
  • Daily Holy Hour and Compline.

Fr Anthony Doe is a priest of the Archdiocese of Westminster, ordained in 1981. He is a qualified psychotherapist, with multiple post graduate degrees. He exercises his priestly ministry as a therapist and spiritual director, and is an experienced retreat director. Fr Doe has served as the Spiritual Director of the Venerable English College in Rome and is currently Spiritual Director at Allen Hall Seminary in London.

Theodore House offers a wonderful venue for any retreat. The tranquil and beautiful surroundings of the Stonyhurst estate offer a peaceful setting and endless opportunities for walks.

All accommodation is en-suite, with comfortable facilities and a beautifully lanscaped garden.

For more information about Theodore House, please click here.

Arrivals are welcome on the Monday from 1pm for a 3pm start.

Departures on Friday are from 3pm.

Cost:

£360 (includes single, en-suite room and full board)

Please register below (deposit payment required):
Venue:

Categories
Events Retreats

Praying with Saint Teresa

Weekend Retreat

Praying with
Saint Teresa of Avila

8th - 10th March 2024

A weekend with St Teresa of Avila

Led by Fr Matthew Blake, OCD

This retreat explores the life and faith of Teresa of Avila (also called Teresa of Jesus), one of the great Spanish mystics who, with Saint John of the Cross, established the Discalced Carmelites. Her works The Interior Castle and The Way of Perfection, in addition to her autobiography The Life of St Teresa of Jesus, have become beloved classics of Christian spirituality. St Teresa’s spirituality was dominated by themes such as:

  •  The nature of mystical union

  •  The role of contemplative meditation

  •  Asceticism and detachment from vice

  •  The relationship between prayer and action

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.

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.

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.

  • Arrivals from 3pm for a 6pm start on Friday
  • Departures from 3pm on Sunday
Cost (per retreat)

Single room: £210 p.p.*

Twin room (sharing): £150 p.p.*

Non-residential (includes lunches and dinners): £90

*Costs include full board from Friday dinner to Sunday lunch inclusive.

“This was an amazing experience, great speaker, comfortable venue, with great staff and activities.”

RETREAT NEARLY SOLD OUT
For inquiries or to be placed on the waiting list, please email us directly at: events@christianheritagecentre.com

Venue:

Categories
Clergy Events Retreats

Renewing a Priestly Spirituality

Renewing a Priestly Spirituality
[silent clergy retreat]

Monday 18th - Friday 22nd September [2023]

A retreat focusing on key themes for a healthy, priestly spirituality

The retreat will be preached by the Canons of the Institute of Christ the King, Sovereign Priest

The retreat will offer a series of talks addressing the following themes, with the intention of nourishing some of the fundamentals of priestly life and spirituality:

  • The Sacred Heart as model for Priests
  • The Priesthood of Our Lord and the priesthood of the ordained minister
  • The Prayer of the Priest
  • The Priest and his Guardian Angel
  • The role of Priestly Silence
  • Priesthood and Friendship
  • Our Lady as Mother of Priests
  • Secular and religious clergy, deacons and seminarians welcome!
  • The retreat will be preached, with opportunities for confession.
  • Clergy are welcome to celebrate Mass individually at their own time, or to concelebrate, using both Theodore House Oratory and St Peter’s Church.
  • Daily Holy Hour and Compline.

Several of the Canons of the ICKSP will contribute different talks on the above themes as part of this retreat.

Canon Vianney Poucin de Wouilt will be the principal preacher and will be present throughout the retreat. He currently serves at the Church of Ss. Peter and Paul and St Philomena in New Brighton, before which he was based at the Shrine Church of St Walburge’s, Preston.

Canon Amaury Montjean, Canon Gwenael Cristofoli and Canon Michael Weiner will also contribute talks to the retreat over the five days.

Theodore House offers a wonderful venue for any retreat. The tranquil and beautiful surroundings of the Stonyhurst estate offer a peaceful setting and endless opportunities for walks.

All accommodation is en-suite, with comfortable facilities and a beautifully lanscaped garden.

For more information about Theodore House, please click here.

Arrivals are welcome on the Monday from 1pm for a 3pm start.

Departures on Friday are from 3pm.

Cost:

£360 (includes single, en-suite room and full board)

Please register below (deposit payment required):

Venue:

Categories
Courses Events

Praying with the Saints [retreats]

Retreats

Praying with the Saints

Running in April, June & October 2023

Weekend retreats themed around the lives & spirituality
of three great spiritual masters of the West

This series of retreats offers participants an opportunity to immerse themselves in the lives of some of the great saints of the Western Church, as a way of developing and nurturing their own lives of faith.

The retreats are preached by well-established speakers and authorities on the respective saints, so that participants will be accompanied closely by these much-loved saintly figures.

Each retreat is entirely standalone.

Each 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.

Retreat Master: St John of the Cross & St Teresa of Avila

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.

 

 

Retreat Master: St Ignatius of Loyola

Fr Dominic Robinson, SJ is currently Parish Priest of Farm Street in central London.  Farm Street Church, and the adjoining London Jesuit Centre, is a vibrant city centre ministry of the Jesuits, aiming to extend welcome and hospitality to many different groups.  Fr Dominic is also UK director of Landings, the programme for returning Catholics, teaches Theology at St Mary’s University, is Chair of Justice & Peace in the Diocese of Westminster and Ecclesiastical Assistant to the charity Aid to the Church in Need.

 

Retreat Master: St Therese of Lisieux

Canon John Urdis is Spiritual Director at St Mary’s College, Oscott, Birmingham. He has a Licence in Spirituality from the Dominican University in Rome.  He is the author of two books on St Therese: ‘Holy Daring’ and ‘The Gift of St Therese of Lisieux.’

 

 

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.

  • Arrivals from 3pm for a 6pm start on Friday
  • Departures from 3pm on Sunday
Cost (per retreat)

Single room: £180 p.p.*

Twin room (sharing): £135 p.p.*

*Costs include full board from Friday dinner to Sunday lunch inclusive.

Please register below (includes £50 p.p. deposit payment):

Venue:

Categories
Clergy Events Retreats

Priesthood: Ever Ancient, Ever New

Priesthood:
Ever Ancient, Ever New
[silent clergy retreat]

Monday 17th - Friday 21st April [2023]

A retreat for secular and religious clergy reflecting on the nature of Christ's priesthood, as shared by the priest.

The retreat will be preached by Mgr John Armitage, of the Diocese of Brentwood.

  • Secular and religious clergy, deacons and seminarians welcome!
  • The retreat will be preached, with opportunities for confession.
  • Clergy are welcome to con/celebrate Mass individually at their own time, in Theodore House Oratory or St Peter’s Church.
  • Daily Holy Hour and Compline.

Mgr John Armitage is a priest of Brentwood Diocese. He is currently parish priest of Canning Town, having returned to his East End roots after serving as Rector of the National Shrine of Walsingham for five years.

 

Theodore House offers a wonderful venue for any retreat. The tranquil and beautiful surroundings of the Stonyhurst estate offer a peaceful setting and endless opportunities for walks.

All accommodation is en-suite, with comfortable facilities and a beautifully lanscaped garden.

For more information about Theodore House, please click here.

Arrivals are welcome on the Monday from 1pm for a 3pm start.

Departures on Friday are from 3pm.

Cost:

£360 (includes single, en-suite room and full board)

Please register below (deposit payment required):

Venue: