Our Mission

The Cenacle Sisters work for the transformation of the world
by awakening and deepening faith
with and for the people of our times.

The Houston Cenacle Retreat House is a welcoming, peace-filled place, a sanctuary for prayer, discernment and spiritual growth. In the midst of a praying Christian community, people of all faiths are invited to an awakening and deepening of their experience of a loving and compassionate God. This reverent ministry to the whole person is shared by Sisters and other women and men qualified to companion others on their life journey.

Our Cenacle Family

The Cenacle is an extended family of women and men of various faith backgrounds with several levels of belonging and commitment to Cenacle Spirituality and Mission. The Religious of the Cenacle (Cenacle Sisters) are members of an international Catholic women’s congregation founded in France in 1826 for the ministries of retreats, faith formation and religious education. Cenacle Retreat Houses are located in eleven countries. The Sisters profess vows of chastity, poverty and obedience and ordinarily live in community. The Auxiliaries are lay women who profess vows of chastity, poverty and obedience as appropriate to their secular lifestyle. The Affiliates/Companions are women and men who make yearly promises to live Cenacle spirituality in secular life. The Partners in Ministry are trained spiritual directors, women and men who make yearly promises like the Affiliates and add a commitment to participate in Cenacle ministry.

Our Cenacle Friends

Our Cenacle friends are all of you who financially sustain the Cenacle through gifts of your time, talent and treasure. Cenacle volunteers give their time and talent through service as retreat helpers and captains, gardeners, office helpers and in numerous capacities at special events. Those in our Circle of Friends give treasures – small and large – as Partners in Regular Giving, and/or through generous responses to annual appeals and special events. Many of our friends and family show their generosity by giving more than the minimum offering for Cenacle programs. All of you remind us daily of the abundant “goodness of our good God” (St.Thérèse Couderc, Cenacle Foundress).

Our Cenacle Setting

From the moment you enter the Cenacle setting, the warm welcome and the beauty of the grounds invite you to reflect prayerfully on your life, relationships, hopes and dreams. The Cenacle provides an atmosphere of peace that offers you a sanctuary away from the rush and noise of the world.

Come and rest awhile

Here you will find sacred spaces that are ideal for prayer and meditation - whether in the chapel or out on the grounds. You might listen to the gentle splash of a fountain, walk the labyrinth, relax in a hammock, meander along garden pathways or pray with the outdoor Stations of the Cross and Stations of Light. Wherever you go, you will find a setting that is conducive to help you to open your heart and mind to God.

Location, Location, Location

Located on North Kirkwood, between Memorial and Briar Forest with easy access from Interstate 10, Beltway 8, and the Westpark Tollway, the Cenacle Retreat House is bound on both sides by bayous – a natural separation from the outside world. You can easily withdraw from the chaos of the city as you become surrounded by nature on these nine wooded acres with trails for walks and quiet sitting areas. Cenacle guests also have a private access gate to the scenic paths of the Terry Hershey Park for long walks or runs.

Accommodations

The house offers private overnight accommodations with no phones, televisions, computers or outside distractions. Two dorm-style wings with 24 rooms each also provide smaller intimate areas for gathering. Our bathrooms are shared (with a private sink area in each room), and we offer limited facilities for persons with special physical needs. Linens and pillow are provided.

With over 35 years of combined experience, the Cenacle kitchen staff provides gourmet meals suitable to most nutritional needs. Accommodations for medically indicated dietary needs are made with advance notification. Separate dining rooms are available for group retreats and for private retreats to maintain a prayerful atmosphere to suit all needs. We offer chef-prepared meals: continental or full breakfast, lunch and dinner depending on arrival and departure times.

Ministries

The Cenacle offers scripturally-based retreats, individual directed retreats and group workshops, as well as days of prayer throughout the year. We also offer meeting spaces for church groups, the ecumenical non-profit community and school groups.

Ministry Staff
The Cenacle is staffed by Cenacle Sisters and other spiritual directors – women and men of various faiths - all of whom are trained in spiritual guidance.

Spiritual Direction
There may come a time in your life when you desire a deeper relationship with God. It is helpful to have a listener – a spiritual director – to walk with you and assist you in learning to recognize what God is saying in the quiet of your heart and the events of your life.

During spiritual direction you will meet one-on-one in hour-long sessions with a trained spiritual director in one of our private parlors. The Cenacle Spiritual Directors are trained in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius as well as other forms of spirituality and prayer. Once you have a spiritual director, the relationship continues and you meet at the Cenacle monthly, quarterly, on individual directed retreats (see below) or as needed.

Individual Directed Retreat
An individual directed retreat is a time of quiet and rest in the presence of God. It is an opportunity to focus on your relationship with God – particularly in your prayer and your interactions with others. You will find your daily rhythm of prayer, relaxation and reflection in an atmosphere of silence (including at meals) and peace – which are essential to a directed retreat. A formal prayer life is not necessary prior to engaging in a directed retreat. All you need is a desire to spend time with God in silence and solitude and a willingness to share your prayer experiences with your spiritual director. Directed retreats typically last between three and eight days. If you are a “first-timer” we recommend that you begin with a single day or overnight. Spiritual direction and directed retreats are arranged throughout the year as your time permits. Please call at least five business days in advance so that we can make arrangements with a spiritual director.

Retreats and Workshops
Cenacle-sponsored retreats and workshops are designed to give participants a wide variety of options to enhance their spiritual lives in a group setting. Silent retreats focus on a particular topic in an atmosphere of quiet prayer and reflection (including at meals). Interactive retreats allow for discussion during sessions and at meals. Workshops focus on teaching and group interaction without as much time for personal reflection as during a retreat. These programs last from a few hours, a full day, overnight, a full weekend or longer. Several are available in Spanish.

Days of Prayer
Throughout the year we set aside days of prayer on specific topics. These day-long group programs involve prayerful teachings with ample time for quiet reflection and personal communion with God. The Cenacle also offers an Ongoing Program of monthly days of prayer known as the Inner Healing Days of Prayer. You may choose to come to a single day or the full series.

Spiritual Direction Institute
The Cenacle offers a three-year formation program for Spiritual Directors. The program is available to clergy, religious and laity who are in Christian ministry in parishes, schools, retreat centers and congregations. April 1, 2010 is the deadline for receipt of Fall Admission applications. Contact sdi@CenacleRetreatHouse.org to obtain an application.

Cenacle Book Store
The Cenacle Book Store offers for purchase music CDs and books by a wide variety of noted spiritual authors, both which may enhance and continue your retreat experience, feed your spiritual growth and allow you to share with others the wisdom of some of our retreat leaders, many of whom are authors. The Book Store is open to the public daily from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (3:00 p.m. on Sundays).

Hospitality Groups
The Cenacle grounds and retreat facilities are available for use by church staffs, school groups, and the wider ecumenical nonprofit community whose ministries are consistent with the Cenacle’s – what we refer to as our Hospitality Groups. The Cenacle is open to these hospitality groups on weekdays, evenings and some weekends as our schedule allows. The Meeting Hall can accommodate up to 80 people. The library and North Conference Room are cozier settings for smaller groups of about 20. Also available is a classroom with tables that can accommodate 20 people. Any of the four private parlors lend themselves well for individual spiritual direction or small gatherings of 3-5 people. Limited audio visual equipment is available for an additional charge.
For more information about scheduling your group at the Cenacle, contact Hospitality@CenacleRetreatHouse.org.

We look forward to welcoming you to your sanctuary in the city.

For more information please contact:

Cenacle Retreat House
420 North Kirkwood Rd.
Houston, Texas 77079
281.497.3131
ministry@cenacleretreathouse.org


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