Mount Carmel is home to the Canadian National Shrine to Saint Thérèse of Lisieux.
Mass available Monday- Friday at 11:15am
Mount Carmel Spiritual Centre is pleased to offer a variety of retreats, days of prayer and renewal, and workshops throughout the year. Click on the links below for program information and registration instructions.
Retreats and Workshops
Ongoing Activities
COME AWAY DAY
Call 905 356 4113 for details and dates
DAILY MASS - 11:15 AM
Monday thru Friday
The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is celebrated on weekdays at 11:15 AM in the Canadian National Shrine of St. Therese the Little Flower.
All are Welcome!
SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
Monthly Sessions
Spiritual direction sessions are available on a monthly basis. Please call Centre at 905-356-4113 for information.
SEPARATED AND DIVORCED MINISTRY
see dates at READ MORE button
A group of separated and divorced Catholics meet every other Monday for prayer, input and sharing. Call the Catholic Centre 905-684-0154 for information. Please note that you do not have to be Catholic to attend. Everyone is welcome!
Directed and Private
Retreats
Call the Centre Office for availability
905 356 4113
Call for rates and availability
A directed retreat for can be an inspirational experience. There is daily opportunity to meet with a spiritual companion who listens as you share your prayer experience. Sometimes we need time away from our busy schedules to relax, pray and reflect. A directed retreat can be arranged for three to seven days.
For those who seek time alone without a spiritual companion, a private retreat may help nurture your inner self. A private retreat can last from one to five days.
Accommodation and meals are provided.
SILENT MEDITATION
Mon, Wed at. Fri at 10am
Hosted by: Fr. Thomas Hakala O. Carm.
LAY CARMELITES
An Ancient Path for Today’s Pilgrim
Lay Carmelites are Roman Catholic men and women who seek to embrace God’s Will in the ordinary circumstances of everyday life.
We are part of an 800-year-old tradition of contemplative prayer, community and ministry.
For more information contact:
Trudy at 905-732-0670
One Day Workshops
The Heavens declare the Glory of God; the Skies proclaim the work of His Hands (Psalm 19:1)
Date: Sat Sept 12 9:30am-3:30pm
Cost: $70 (includes lunch)
Led by : Anita Mascarenhas
In his 2015 Encyclical, Laudato Si (Praise Be to You), Pope Francis describes St. Francis of Assisi as the patron saint of all who study and work in the area of ecology, who was particularly concerned for God’s creation and for the poor and outcast.
In this Jubilee Year of St. Francis, marking the 800th anniversary of his passing on October 3, 1226, it is timely for us to examine his song of praise “The Canticle of Creatures”, to savor the experience of a theophany, a manifestation of the goodness of God, which St. Francis intensely and majestically proclaims through the words of the Canticle.
In this workshop, we will explore practical ideas that will enable each of us to do our part to contribute to environmental protection and to being good stewards of this great gift of God to us.
Inviting all you nature lovers and those who wish to deepen their relationship with God and Creation, to join us as we explore the Christian virtues of faith, hope and love and how they are essential, in the words of Pope Leo XIV, to addressing the issues of the current environmental crisis.
To register call 905 356 4113 or email reservations@carmelniagara.com
Learning How To Grieve
–One Day at a Time
Date: Sat Oct 3 9:30am-3:30pm
Led by: Anna Racine
Cost: $70 (includes buffet lunch)
There’s an elephant in the room, and its name is grief. We don’t know how to grieve, and we don’t understand it. Grief is not a race or an event. Grief is a process and is a natural response to loss. Grief happens one step at a time, one day at a time.
This Workshop is open to anyone who has experienced loss or change in their lives. Using various methods, we will uncover the mysteries of grief and learn ways to cope. Discover how to take care of yourself as you grieve one day at a time. An opportunity to share your grief story in a safe and supportive environment where you will be provided with tools to move forward through the grief process.
“Learning how to grieve in your own way and on your own terms is the first step to healing.”
To register call 905 356 4113 or email reservations@carmelniagara.com
The Power of Night:
Drawing to God with
St. Edith Stein
Led by: Patricia Rocco
Date: Sat Oct 17 9:30am-330pm
Cost; $70 (includes lunch) + $25 art supply fee
This workshop introduces a variety of drawing techniques as a means of meditation and of gaining a greater awareness of personal perspective. In the first half of the workshop, participants will be considering the life of St. Edith Stein/St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross through her autobiography, Life in a Jewish Family, and through her philosophical and theological writing.
Drawing techniques such as the contour and grid methods will be introduced in the second half of the workshop. Participants will be guided and supported throughout the creative process. It is essential to that process that participants will have opportunities to reflect together on the interior experience of drawing as well as the differences in visual perspective. These techniques will be the means of actively exploring the concept of empathy as understood and described by St. Edith Stein.
To register call 905 356 4113 or email reservations@carmelniagara.com
The Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)
Date: Sat Nov 7 9:30am-3:30pm
Cost: $70 (includes lunch)
Led by : Anita Mascarenhas
Long before science was able to study the effects of deliberate acts of kindness and intending the good of another, Jesus, in the Parable of the Good Samaritan, was elucidating the “mirror effect” of altruism, which in psychology and neuroscience refers to the phenomenon where witnessing or participating in a selfless act, produces parallel benefits in both the receiver and the giver.
In this workshop, we will delve deeper into the Parable, examining the questions, “Who is my neighbour”, “Who acted like a neighbour” and “What were the rewards promised?”
We will also examine research evidence that shows shifting focus away from oneself to help others or to send positive intentions reduces self-sabotage and can physically lower stress and boost the immune system.
A fascinating topic not to be missed!
To register call 905 356 4113 or email reservations@carmelniagara.com
Becoming your Own Best Friend:A Gift For Your Soul
Led by: Anna Racine
Date: Sat. Nov. 14
Cost: $70 (includes lunch)
A best friend is a person who loves you from the deepest place within. It’s someone who sees what you have the potential to become, tells you it's real and possible and loves you forward as you bloom safely and securely into your most authentic self. While it is often understood as a special bond with another person, this Workshop explores what it means to become your own best friend.
Learn the importance of developing a healthy, supportive relationship with yourself by building self-compassion, improving self-talk, increasing confidence, and managing self-criticism. Through interactive discussions and reflective activities, you will gain tools to strengthen resilience, enhance emotional well-being, and cultivate habits that encourage kindness, acceptance, and personal growth.
Learn how to honor your inner wisdom, and develop a more nurturing relationship with yourself. Together we will explore how to create the foundation for healing and authentic living. Find ways to cultivate the gentle, supportive inner companion and create a deeper connection with yourself.
"The best friend you'll ever have is the one in the mirror."
.
To register call 905 356 4113 or email reservations@carmelniagara.com
FOR CHRIST’S SAKE — An Advent & Christmas Workshop
Date: Sat. Dec. 5 9:30am-3:330 pm
Cost:$70 (includes lunch)
Presented by: Anna Racine
What does Christmas really mean?
In a season often filled with shopping, celebrations, and distractions, For Christ’s Sake invites us to pause, reflect, and return to the heart of the Christmas season—Christ.
This faith-filled workshop will explore the true meaning of Advent and Christmas from a Christian perspective, helping us rediscover Advent as a sacred time of waiting, preparation, hope, and joyful expectation as we prepare our hearts to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
Through prayer, reflection, discussion, and meaningful activities, we will journey deeper into the significance of Christ’s birth and consider how we can make room for Him—not only at Christmas, but in our everyday lives.
Come and prepare your heart, renew your faith, and rediscover the joy of Christmas—for Christ’s sake.
To register call 905 356 4113 or email reservations@carmelniagara.com
Overnight Retreats
(Prices include accommodation and meals)
GRIEF & GRATITUDE WEEKEND
Date: Nov 13-15, 2026
Cost: $350 + creative materials fee $15
Led by: Beth Woelk
“The work of the mature person is to carry grief in one hand and gratitude in the other and to be stretched large by them.” Francis Weller - The Wild Edge of Sorrow
A transformative weekend designed to guide us through the tender landscape of loss and the profound beauty of appreciation. We will create a sacred and supportive space to acknowledge, honour, and integrate our experiences of grief, while simultaneously cultivating a deeper connection to gratitude.
During the weekend, we will create a handmade gratitude & grief journal using a simple book binding technique and collage. No artistic experience or talent required!
Weaving together reflection and ritual, music and poetry, guided journaling, time for individual contemplation and conversation with kind souls, this will be a slow-paced and restorative retreat.
Find out more about Beth at www.bethwoelk.com
To register call 905 356 4113 or email reservations@carmelniagara.com
THE MANY FACES OF JESUS RETREAT
Led by: Anna Racine
Date: Nov 27-29
Cost:$350
Throughout the Gospels, Jesus reveals Himself in many different ways, meeting people where they are and transforming their lives. To the weary, He is the Giver of Rest. To the broken, He is the Healer. To sinners, He is the Savior. To seekers, He is the Truth. To His followers, He is the Good Shepherd, the Servant King, the Bread of Life, the Light of the World, and the Resurrection and the Life.
This retreat invites participants to journey through the many "faces" or roles of Jesus as revealed in Scripture. Each session explores a different aspect of His character, helping participants develop a deeper understanding of who Jesus is and how He continues to work in our lives today.
To register call 905 356 4113 or email reservations@carmelniagara.com
ICON WRITTING RETREAT
Led by: Phil Zimmerman
Cost : $820 for room and board +(art supply fee extra)
Date: Sun, Nov 29 – Sat, Dec 5
Master Iconographer Phillip Zimmerman will guide students through creating one complete icon (to be determined).
Any level of experience is accepted. Each step is demonstrated to students, followed by time to copy what has been taught. Students will learn: filling in, rendering clothes and flesh, 23 karat gold leafing, and varnishing. In addition, students will gain familiarity with ruling pens and ruling pen compasses, and information of preparation of panels for painting .Students will need to pre order their art boards and supplies directly through Phil Zimmerman at phil@iconworkshop.art
Enrollment is limited so register early.
To register call 905 356 4113 or email reservations@carmelniagara.com
WELCOMING THE NEW YEAR 2027
Date: Wed Jan 6(starting with dinner)- Fri Jan 8 (after lunch)
Led by: Kathryn McMorrow
Cost: $350
A weekend to bid farewell to last year and to create some space for the challenges and blessings waiting in the wings of 2027. Through mini-presentations, group work, prayer and personal reflection, participants will acquire tools for letting go of the old and welcoming the new, with a greater awareness of where they want to put their energy in the coming year.
Bring last year’s calendar/agenda. Candlelight dress-up dinner and social evening on Thursday. All in the welcoming environment of Mount Carmel.
To register call 905 356 4113 or email reservations@carmelniagara.com
WINTER STILLNESS
Led by Kathryn McMorrow
Date: Fri Jan (starting with dinner)- Sun Jan 10 (after lunch)
Cost: $350
A time to renew body, mind and spirit in the tranquil and welcoming environment of Mount Carmel and the winter beauty of Niagara Falls. A time to deepen spiritual practices and perhaps discover new ones as you set your intentions for the coming year.
Inspired by scriptural passages and the women of the gospels we will explore the many facets of Boundaries: Spiritual, Psychological and Physical, both internal and external; what they are and what they are not; how they are created and how they are abused; how they affect our sense of self, our relationships and our life purpose.
Retreatants will leave with a greater understanding of the many facets of boundaries. They will have tools for creating healthy boundaries and for communicating them appropriately and effectively. A wonderful start to the new year!
This is not a silent retreat but periods of reflective silence for spiritual practices and integration of learnings are encouraged. Meals can be taken in silence or in conversation.
Email questions about the retreat to Kathryn at innovationsca@yahoo.ca
To register call 905 356 4113 or email reservations@carmelniagara.com