for Women of St. Gabriel Church
Come away, and rest with the Lord
in one of our upcoming retreats.
Catholic Conference Center
1551 Trinity Lane
Hickory, NC 28602
a 1.5 hour drive from St. Gabriel
View location here
$325/single occupancy
$275/double occupancy
For double occupancy,
indicate desired roommate
on registration form
otherwise one will be assigned.
Payment is due with registration
Please contact Erica MacIvor,
if you have a financial hardship
Cancellation policy
We can only offer a refund for cancellations
more than 45 days from the start date of the retreat.
No refunds are given after that date.
will not be held
Please join us for
our silent retreat
November 10 - 12
Friday 4:30 pm - Sunday 1:00 pm
Theme: Ignatian Spiritual Exercises
The weekend provides guided meditations on the spiritual life with time to reflect alone in quiet prayer time, based on the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius. See our FAQs below. This retreat is recommended for women who have already participated in another retreat.
Retreat Master: Fr. James Claver, SJC
Register online here
A retreat is a meeting of Christians for the purpose of spiritual growth. The very nature of the idea of "retreat" requires participants to leave their regular routine and experience something different in order to focus on their relationship with God. Retreat participants will leave the retreat feeling rested but re-focused on their walk with Christ. They will leave with beautiful memories and new relationships.
But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. – Luke 5:16
Fellowship retreat
A Fellowship Retreat will have themed talks and breakout sharing sessions. There will be plenty of time for bonding with new friends and enjoying meaningful conversations around the faith. There will be musicians who will lead the retreat sessions in worship songs, and we will have some dedicated prayer time.
Silent retreat
A silent retreat can seem intimidating but just think about it as going away with Jesus, your dear friend. It is a time to find clarity in your life, to think about your past year. It is a time to reset your spiritual life and relationship with Jesus.
You will receive guided meditations on the spiritual life alongside the other women on the retreat. Then you will reflect in quiet prayer time alone rather than in small group discussions. You can expect to have about 15 guided talks by the presenter over the weekend, as well as time for Mass and Confession. At the end of the retreat, most people will have more clarity regarding God’s will for their lives and a deeper sense of peace that comes from Christ.
The silence will begin after Friday night dinner, and it will end before Sunday lunch so you will have time to meet and talk with the other ladies.
The Spiritual Exercises grew out of St. Ignatius Loyola’s personal experience as a man seeking to grow in union with God and to discern God’s will. He kept a journal as he gained spiritual insight and deepened his spiritual experience. He added to these notes as he directed other people and discovered what “worked.” Eventually, Ignatius gathered these prayers, meditations, reflections, and directions into a carefully designed framework of a retreat, which he called “spiritual exercises.”
Typically, the guided talks of the retreat will progress through 4 stages or “weeks”:
This retreat is for adult women who are parishioners of St. Gabriel church.
Your registration fee includes and helps pay for:
Full payment is due with registration.
Cancellation Policy: Refunds can only be offered for cancellations more than 45 days from the start of the retreat
The retreat center will provide linens and towels.
You may want to bring:
• Toiletries
• Alarm clock
• Casual clothes and dressier ones for Sunday Mass
• Walking shoes (in case you want to walk the grounds during free time)
• Bible
• Rosary
• Personal journal
We encourage you to turn off your cell phone and leave your laptop, tablet, and other electronics at home.
Make your "to do" list before you leave for the retreat, and then put those items in God’s hands.
Attend to him first, and he will take care of the rest.
If you need to cancel your reservation, please notify our retreat coordinator Erica MacIvor here.
Cancellation Policy: Since we must finalize our contract with the retreat center 45 days from retreat date, we can only offer a refund 45 days from the start date of the retreat. No refunds after that time will be given.
"During this weekend, Jesus spoke directly to me, I was able to feel his love more than I had ever felt it in my life, he was there with me. I could feel his presence giving me the peace that only He can give."
Claudia B.
"In silence, which was not difficult at all, I began to hear God’s voice again, and made many new friends with whom I am continuing my spiritual journey back home."
Margit P.
"We spend a lot of time, money and energy nourishing our bodies, but what about investing in the health of our hearts and souls? Every woman needs to experience the healing, freedom, and deepening in love of Christ that this retreat experience provides. "
Ashley O.
"Never underestimate how loudly God can speak in silence and solitude.” — This is what a wise friend of mine told me when I expressed my worry over 48 hours of total silence ... But I NEEDED to talk to God and hear HIS voice above all others. And boy did I ever! The voice of “activity” did not get in the way of hearing the voice of the Lord, because I was finally quieted down in heart, body, soul, spirit and....mind.
Carolina M.