SCT Family Retreat with Fr Hunwicke, 5-7 April

Fr Hunwicke giving 'first blessings' last Summer, at the St Catherine's Trust Summer School

I can now announce the annual Family Retreat I help to organise, under the umbrella of the St Catherine's Trust. This year, the Retreat giver will be the well-known Fr John Hunwicke of the Ordinariate. 

Asperges at the Retreat last year, with Fr Southwell

The Family Retreat is an unparalleled gathering of traditional Catholics and their families; you can expect about 150 people, including children of all ages. We have talks and activities (indoor and out) for the children, to enable their parents to attend the spiritual conferences. We also have Sung (I hope Solemn) Mass each day, Compline, Vespers, Benediction, and a procession through the grounds. Confession is available, and there'll be a bookstall provided (to be confirmed) by St Philip's Books of Oxford, one of our foremost Catholic bookshops, who have both new and second-hand books.

It is a great spiritual experience and a great social experience, it is something of a 'gathering of the tribe' of the traditional movement in England and Wales, and Scotland too.

Running alongside is the growing Weekend Chant Course; see here for details. It is possible for one family member to attend that while the rest are at the Retreat. The singers provide the accompaniment for the liturgies.

Marian procession at last year's Retreat

It takes place in the very lovely setting of the Oratory School, Woodcote, north of Reading. Easily accessible by car and train (nearest station: Goring and Streatley, a few minutes out of Reading), it has two chapels where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved, both arranged ad orientem.

The dates are Friday 5th to Sunday 7th April, that is Low Sunday weekend, the weekend after Easter. It starts on Friday afternoon and ends with lunch on Sunday.

Prices are very reasonable: all the staff are volunteers and almost all the entire cost is the accomodation and the excellent food. Furthermore, those in financial need can apply for one of a limited number of 50% bursaries, provided by the Latin Mass Society.

So there is no excuse not to come! Full details of this and other events run by the St Catherine's Trust are detailed on this pdf download, which includes all the contact details and application forms.

Bookstall last year

Lots of photos of last year's event, which was led by Fr Andrew Southwell, now studying in Rome.