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
SILENT MEDITATION
Mondays at 10am, Wednesdays at 10am. Fridays at 10am
Hosted by: Fr. Thomas Hakala O. Carm.
Meditation will be held in the Niagara room on the 4th floor.
Cost: Free will offering
You are invited to come and experience meditation as a way of bringing peace, harmony and joy to your life. Meditation is a way to assist you live a mindful life, to enhance your day-to-day awareness by living in the present moment.
Being is the capacity of our being: and now, in this moment, we recognize, acknowledge , and submit ourselves. We remind ourselves of this each time we live in the moment. This particular moment this is now making us joyous becomes the continuing moment of every day of every year.
“ New to silent meditation? If you want, plan to arrive 10 minutes before starting time, to receive some simple instruction on the process. It’s really as simple as ‘just sitting there!’ in God’s Presence and listening. “
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!
Emotions Anonymous
Now led virtually. Please contact missisc2@hotmail.com for details
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
Grief & Gratitude
Saturday, October 18th
9:30-3:30
Cost: $75 (includes lunch and art supplies)
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
Join us for a transformative day 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.
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. Included in our day together will be a time to create a handmade journal with a simple book binding technique. A delicious lunch is provided.
To register call 905 356 4113 or email reservations@carmelniagara.com
Learning How To Grieve
–One Day at a Time
Date: Sat Nov 8, 9:30am-3:30pm
Led by: Anna Racine
Cost: $70 (includes 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
A Paradise Within Thee …
Prayer and Meditation through Visual Art
Led by Patricia Rocco
Date; Sat Nov. 22 9am-330pm
Cost :$70 (includes lunch)
Art making as prayer and meditation is a means of making visible the Paradise within each of us. This retreat is purposefully designed for people with little or no experience in the creation of visual art. Retreatants will be introduced to Christian and Jewish writers and mystics, from both the past and the modern era, and will respond to their words through the use of printmaking, drawing and painting.
Retreatants will engage in a materials-based approach which means that the emphasis will be on process rather than product. This will require letting go of expectations of what an artwork should look like, and focusing instead on the process of making it. To support them, retreatants will be provided with the tools and basic information necessary to apply media, and will have opportunities to practice using it. They will be guided incrementally through the creative process, at first as a group, and then individually, and will make meaning through the elements of design: line, shape, texture, colour and value.
As an essential part of the process, retreatants will be invited to look back at their visual response and to reflect either silently or share within small or large groups the meanings that emerge from the artwork.
To register call 905 356 4113 or email reservations@carmelniagara.com
I AM……..THE JOY OF KNOWING YOURSELF
Date: Sat. Jan 10 9:30am-3:30pm
Cost: $70
Led by : Anna Racine
Who am I? Where am I going? What is the meaning and purpose of my life? Have you ever struggled with these questions? You are not alone. Many of us go through life without ever finding the answers. Some of us look to others for these answers rather than looking deep inside ourselves.
Self-knowledge is crucial and is the stepping stone to living a happier and more fulfilling life. In this Workshop we will explore the process involved in starting the journey of self discovery. Find ways to honour your true self and discover the gift of knowing yourself.
“There are few things more exciting than knowing who you are
and who you want to become”
To register call 905 356 4113 or email reservations@carmelniagara.com
The Journey of Faith:
A Trip For A Lifetime!
Date: Sat. Feb 7 9:30am-3:30
Cost: $70 (includes lunch)
Led by: Anna Racine
The most important journey we will ever embark on in life is our spiritual journey. But sometimes we spend more time planning a trip than we do planning our faith journey. Many of us do not understand what spiritual growth is and why it is crucial to our wellbeing.
Spend the day discerning where you are in your spiritual life and find ways to nurture it. Explore your spiritual journey, as you reflect on the ups and downs, the challenges and triumphs, and the moments of profound insight and inspiration. Discover new depths of meaning and purpose in your life as you find ways to grow in faith, clarity, and wisdom.
“The most important trip you will ever take is the path towards a richer, more meaningful spiritual life.”
To register call 905 356 4113 or email reservations@carmelniagara.com
Overnight Retreats
(Prices include accommodation and meals)
If You’re Happy and You Know It-A Gratitude Retreat
Led by: Anna Racine
Date: Oct 31-Nov 2
Cost: $350
True happiness is an internal job. It's a conscious choice to focus on the positive and free ourselves from negative thinking. Follow your heart to a weekend at Mount Carmel and take yourself on a life journey to nourish, embrace and celebrate all that you are. Learn how to strengthen your foundation of happiness, and how it can help to build a lifetime of laughter and joy.
When we search for the path to happiness we find that gratitude and happiness are closely linked. Discover how the simple practice of gratitude allows us to reclaim our inner happiness so we can be our best self.
“Be grateful for the big things, the little things, and everything in between, and happiness will follow.”
Call 905 356 4113 or email reservations@carmelniagara.com to register
ICON WRITING WORKSHOP---
Nativity of Our Lord
Date: Nov 16-22, 2025
Cost: $820 room and board (+ art supplies)
Master Iconographer 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 an ruling pen compasses, and information of preparation of panels for painting.
Students will need to pre order their art boards and supplies directly through master iconographer.- call centre for details
Enrollment is limited so register early.
To register call 905 356 4113 or email reservations@carmelniagara.com
WELCOMING THE NEW YEAR
Date: Fri Jan 2 -Sun Jan 4, 2026
Led by: Kathryn McMorrow
Cost: $350 *Please register by Dec 10
A weekend to bid farewell to last year and to create some space for the challenges and blessings waiting in the wings of 2025. 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 Saturday. All in the welcoming environment of Mount Carmel.
For more information email questions to Kathryn at innovationsca@yahoo.ca REGISTRATION IS THROUGH MOUNT CARMEL.
To register call 905 356 4113 or email reservations@carmelniagara.com
WINTER STILLNESS:
A Retreat for Women
Date: Jan 4-6, 2026
Led by: Kathryn McMorrow
Cost: $350
A time out to renew body, mind and spirit in the tranquil and welcoming environment of Mount Carmel and the winter beauty of Niagara Falls. Themes will include: deepening spiritual practices, strengthening the immune system, exploring the spiritual gifts of waiting and cultivating patience and self-compassion. This is not a silent retreat but periods of reflective silence are encouraged. Meals can be taken in silence or in conversation.
To register call 905 356 4113 or email reservations@carmelniagara.com
Detached: Cutting the Threads That Hold Us Back from God
Date: Fri Jan 30 to Sun Feb 1
Cost: $350
Led by: Anna Racine
Can I be detached from the things of this world? Can I love God above all, and be detached from anything that gets in the way of my loving Him? Do I truly and really want only His will in my life? These questions pose significant challenges for us in our quest for a closer relationship with God. We can fill our hearts with attachments to created things, other people, and affections. Or we can open our hearts to the unique, infinite love of God, and His will.
Spend a weekend exploring tools and methods to practice spiritual detachment. An opportunity to reflect what you may need to detach from so that you can become more attached to God. All great spirituality is about letting go and letting God.
“In embracing detachment, we open ourselves to the transformative grace of God and align our hearts with His will for us!”
To register call 905 356 4113 or email reservations@carmelniagara.com
Directed and Private
Retreats
Call the Centre Office for availability
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.