Retreats at SPEC during the Year of Faith

The SPEC Community leads retreats for children and young people in school years 3-13 and for those in parishes on Confirmation or First Holy Communion programmes.

‘The “door of faith” (Acts 14:27) is always open for us, ushering us into the life of communion with God and offering entry into his Church. It is possible to cross that threshold when the word of God is proclaimed and the heart allows itself to be shaped by transforming grace. To enter through that door is to set out on a journey that lasts a lifetime.’ Pope Benedict XVI, Porta Fidei 1.

The Year of Faith that Pope Benedict XVI announced a year ago is due to begin on 11 October 2012 - the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council - and will end on the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Universal King, on 24 November 2013.  The SPEC community is committed to responding to the Pope’s call not only through the way our community lives but also in our ministry.  We have taken this opportunity to design our KS2-5 retreats around the Year of Faith and its themes, which we hope will support any Year of Faith initiatives within schools of the diocese. Details of the new themes can be found on the specific Key Stage pages.  The retreat programmes for Confirmation groups remain unchanged.

We hope that your pupils will find these new retreats inspiring and a true encouragement along ‘the right path towards the “door of faith” (Porta Fidei 7.)

To find out more about the different retreat programmes, click on the appropriate link at the top or to the right of this page.