Note: Due to EU travel restrictions, the in-person event has been postponed until 2021. Stay tuned for details about a virtual event for the European Region this fall. Refunds will be processed shortly.

Embracing Sainthood

Sanctuary of Divine Mercy
Siostry Faustyny 3, 30-608 Kraków, Poland
October 22-25, 2020

“Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in Heaven.”  Matthew 5:12

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Sisters in Christ,

Greetings!

We are so excited to invite you to the MCCW European Regional Retreat: Embracing Sainthood. This 3-night, 4-day retreat will be held at the beautiful Sanctuary of Divine Mercy in Krakow, Poland. We look forward to leaving behind the distractions of life and experiencing God’s precious grace together. You can expect to spend time in reflection and meditation through adoration, confession, mass, spiritual direction, and many forms of personal and group prayer. You will hear and participate in talks with some wonderful AMS clergy, MCCW-Worldwide leadership, and guest speakers. We are thrilled to have as a very special guest speaker, Michaelann Martin.

We hope you can make it!

Jennifer Brennan & Kitty Eisenbeil MCCW – European Team

Register and purchase tickets on EventBrite.

Guest Speakers

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Michaelann Martin

Michaelann is married to Curtis Martin and they have been working with young people and college students for over twenty years with the Fellowship of Catholic University Students, FOCUS, the organization, committed to expanding the new evangelization on college and university campuses.  Michaelann studied Psychology and Business, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in 1988 and continued her education by receiving a Master of Education in 1989 from Pepperdine University.   She works alongside Curtis in FOCUS as the Director of Women’s Formation.  She very much enjoys working with the missionaries and wives involved with FOCUS, as well as mentoring women of all ages who want to learn about living our faith in the new evangelization. 

Curtis and Michaelann have tried to keep their faith and family as top priorities and in so doing have written a few studies for personal or group reflection and discussion, Family Matters, and Michaelann has written, Catholic Parent Book of Feast, Celebrating the Liturgical Year in the Family, Woman of Grace, A Bible Study for married women as well, and the newly released mother- daughter study, Girls Night Out: Having fun with Your Daughter while Raising a woman of God.

Curtis and Michaelann have been married for 31 years, they have nine children and five grandchildren so far… They currently reside in Colorado.

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Bishop William Muhm

Bishop William (Bill) Muhm, son of the late James and Anne Muhm, was born in Billings, MT, in 1957 and raised in Denver, CO. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree (B.S.) in Business Administration from Colorado State University in 1980. He attended Officer Candidate School (OCS) in Newport, RI, and was commissioned an Ensign in the Navy Supply Corps in July 1981. After graduating from Navy Supply Corps School, he served aboard USS BELLEAU WOOD (LHA-3), making two Western Pacific (WESTPAC) deployments, and an assignment to the Naval Air Engineering Station in Lakehurst, NJ. After release from active duty, he worked as an accountant. From 1986-1989, he also served as a Navy Reserve Supply Corps Officer.

In 1989, Bishop Muhm entered the minor seminary for the Archdiocese of New York, under the Co-Sponsored Seminarian Program (CSP), a vocations partnership between the AMS and participating U.S. dioceses and religious communities. He graduated from St. Joseph’s Seminary (Dunwoodie) in Yonkers, NY, and was ordained a priest in 1995 by John Cardinal O’Connor. Father Muhm served in the Archdiocese of New York at parishes in Ossining and Staten Island. From 1996 to 1998, he served as a Navy Reserve Chaplain with Fleet Hospital 22.

In 1998, Bishop Muhm returned to active duty as a Navy chaplain. His assignments included Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Japan; USS WASP (LHD-1), making an extended post-9/11 deployment in the Arabian Sea; postgraduate studies at Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley, CA; Training Support Center Great Lakes, IL; 1st Marine Division, deploying to Anbar Province, Iraq; U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD; USS BONHOMME RICHARD (LHD-6)/CTF-76, home ported in Sasebo, Japan; 2nd Marine Logistics Group, Camp Lejeune, NC; and II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune. Father Muhm retired from the Navy on May 1, 2018 with the rank of Navy Captain.

Bishop Muhm’s military awards include the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal with two gold stars, Navy Commendation Medal with gold star, and Navy Achievement Medalwith gold star, and Fleet Marine Force Officer Qualification.

With permission from Cardinal Dolan, Bishop Muhm enjoyed a sabbatical from May 1 to December 1, 2018. The sabbatical included a 30-day Jesuit retreat, a cross-country road trip to visit family and friends, walking 787 kilometers of the Camino of Santiago de Compostela with two priest friends and one seminarian friend, and six weeks at the Institute for Continuing Theological Education at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. Bishop Muhm served as Administrator of Most Precious Blood Parish in Walden, NY, from December 1, 2018 to February 28, 2019.

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Eligibility

If you are a female, 18 and older, AND affiliated with the military (all branches-active, guard, reserve, dependent, retired, DoDEA, contractor) – we would be honored to have you attend this retreat! Please note: You do not need to be a leader in your community, involved in a CWOC or even Catholic – just respectful and open to learning. We have women who attend from installations where there is not an active CWOC and we would be happy to have you!  We are hoping for representation from across the European region!

How to Register

All registrations must be completed on Eventbrite. Please keep in mind:

All sales will close on Sept 15, 2020.

All payments need to be received by Oct 1, 2020.

Space is limited, so please make your reservations as soon as possible.

Attendance Options

We highly encourage you to “retreat” and spend your time for four days at the retreat center. As we realize this time frame and the overnight option are not possible for everyone, we have included a daytripper price for those who cannot spend the night. It includes meals during the retreat, but not lodging. The add-on pilgrimage day requires advance registration and space is limited.  It includes an extra night of lodging, but meals that day are on your own.

Costs for all options are listed below.

Cost of Attendance

Due to the nature of our ordering platform, you will select only one ticket option that includes both Registration & Room/Board. The breakdown is below.

The registration fee is a non-refundable per person fee paid through Eventbrite before September 15.  This covers the facility, retreat materials, hospitality rooms, and on-site chapel plus your lodging and meals.

Lodging and attendance options vary. Each rate includes all meals as well as coffee/tea breaks:

-$295: All-Inclusive Double Room (Shared room/two-person occupancy)  with lodging for 4 days, 3 nights, eight meals beginning with dinner on October 22, and concluding with breakfast on October 25.

-$55: Mini Pilgrimage including the “Walk in the Shoes of JPII” extra day excursion. (Note: includes one extra night’s stay at the retreat house but extra meals are up to each individual or group).

-$195: Day Tripper multi-day pass over the course of four days includes lunch and dinner but no lodging or breakfast.

-$222: Priest Subsidy includes lodging for 4 days, 3 nights, and eight meals beginning with dinner on October 22 and concluding with breakfast on October 25.

All rooms are double occupancy. There are no single rooms available. Each room contains two single beds, linens, towels, a sitting table, and a wardrobe. All rooms have en-suite toilet and shower. There are no infant/children’s cots available.

Note: ALL payments will be by Eventbrite or check. NO PAYPAL.

Please indicate on your registration if you have any food allergies and see the question below about allergies for more details.

Paying for Registration

  • Please determine if your chapel is paying any portion of your retreat registration fees BEFORE you process a personal payment. If any portion of your registration will be paid with chapel funds, please select the “INVOICE” payment option. NO REFUNDS to personal credit cards will be issued after payment has been made.

If your Chapel is paying, the Chapel POC needs to email the MCCW Finance Team at registrar@mccw.org to advise the following and request an invoice:

  • Chapel Name (Base/Post)
  • POC: Parish Coordinator and/or CWOC President or Chapel Funds Manager (Please include emails and/or phone numbers.)
  • Funds Manager or Religious Support Personnel who will handle payment name, email, and phone number
  • Names of registrants receiving a subsidy and the amount each attendee is receiving

Once this information is received an invoice will be emailed back.

Registration Options:

When completing online registration make one of the following payment selections:

  1. Choose ONLINE at Eventbrite via CC (small transaction fee applies)
  2. Choose MAIL-IN and send your check, notated with “European Retreat Registration” in the memo line, to:

MCCW, Inc. PO Box 4456 Washington DC 20017-9997 3. Choose INVOICE if your chapel is paying any or all of the registration.

See additional information in the notes above.

All payments must be made via Eventbrite or check.

Chapels must communicate with their attendees the amount to be subsidized Chapels, the POC sends the email to registrar@mccw.org and the ladies register using the invoice ticket. Once the invoice is sent, the chapel pays the registrar via EFT, Check, or CC (using GPC ticket). The remaining balance can then be paid by sending in a check or can go online to pay the remaining balance.

Chapel GPC Payments: for Chapel Funds Manager use only after an invoice has been issued. The invoice provides them 3 ways to pay: EFT, Check, or credit card (with a fee via Eventbrite Chapel GPC Payment ticket).

Individual Pay Balance Due After Subsidy: Registrants who have a remaining balance after the chapel subsidy. Women are able to pay their remaining balance via CC with fees instead of mailing a checkout.

Lodging

All rooms include an en-suite sink, shower, and toilet.  Blankets, sheets, and towels will be provided. The rooms are standard European hotel rooms. If you have a preference for a roommate, all attendees should request their preferred group at the time of registration.  

Bring personal items, soap, hygiene items, spiritual items (rosary, bible, veil/pashmina), comfortable clothing, and any additional comfort items. It is recommended that you bring a converter or otherwise appropriate outlet to charge any devices you may bring with you. Outlets are standard 2-prong European outlets and American appliances that are not dual voltage should not be brought to the retreat site.

Please consider bringing cash/checks as there will be items available for purchase and daily mass offerings taken during the retreat, as well as the CWOC basket auction for Seminarians. There is an ATM at the site.

About the Retreat Center

Guest rooms in the House of St. Faustina are in the monastery building of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, in the place where she once lived and worked on the gate of St. Sister Faustina. There she had many revelations, including she met Jesus who came in the form of a poor young man. In the House of St. Faustina one can take advantage of accommodation for organized groups of pilgrims as well as individuals.

Restaurant in the “House of St. Sisters of Faustina “at the bus parking are run by sisters from the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy, who offer home-made buffet lunches, breakfasts, dinners, homemade desserts, ice cream, and waffles. They also support organized groups (up to 300 people). You can pre-book meals and all at attractive prices.

Please visit their website to learn more.

Off-site Pilgrimage

Please note that space is limited to the first 60 women who sign up for the All-Inclusive + Mini Pilgrimage registration option.  The extra $55 cost is included in the pricing above and covers the extra night of lodging.  We will be visiting many of the sites special to Saint John Paul II from his early childhood to his days as Pope.  We will start at the Family House of the Holy Father John Paul II Museum in Wadowice and visit the church where he was baptized as a child.  We will return to Krakow for a walking tour visiting sites such as the seminary where he studied, the church where he was ordained and the Pope’s window.  As a special treat, we will enjoy a taste of kremówka papieska –pope’s cake. Save your spot early and don’t miss out on this special extra day together. Remember, an extra night of lodging is included in the price, but additional meals are not.

Transportation

The retreat site is easily accessible by car and limited parking is available. The nearest airport is Krakow International. There is a nearby metro stop with a short uphill walk.

Are Children Welcome?

We cannot accommodate babies at the retreat site. Nursing infants under 12 months may attend in arms, provided they do not distract from the quiet nature and respect for the religious sisters that reside in the area. Babies older than 12 months may not attend. Baby cots/cribs are not available.

Food Options

Meals include one dinner meal on Thursday, three meals on Friday and Saturday and breakfast on Sunday. There will also be coffee/tea breaks.  Please note we expect to have a formal banquet on Saturday evening. Worldwide team members and volunteers may arrange their own meals outside those listed above.

Does the venue have the ability to accommodate food allergies and dietary restrictions?

Yes. However, retreatants must communicate their allergy/dietary needs directly with the venue staff before each meal. Worldwide team members and volunteers may arrange their own meals outside those listed above.

Refunds

Registration is complete when payment is received. Tickets are not refundable. However, we do understand unexpected situations occur. You are able to transfer your ticket (registration) to another woman. Please find a replacement and contact the registrar. If you are unable to find a replacement through your chapel, you can contact the registrar for assistance in finding someone outside of your chapel.

*Please Note* If you’ve used a chapel subsidy, you may not transfer your registration to a woman from a different chapel.

Recommended Attire

Please dress comfortably but respect for the spiritual nature of the retreat weekend. It is chilly in the fall.  Anticipate mid 40-50• Fahrenheit. You will need semi-formal attire for the formal banquet dinner on Saturday evening. There will be early morning prayer times offered, so you may like to bring something comfortable to wake-up in.

Please be mindful that this is a convent and a basilica. They expect the same dress code as churches throughout Europe: No bare shoulders, if you wear leggings please wear a long tunic or dress with them, and no shorts.

Discernment

We will have discernment for the MCCW European regional board. Here is a link of available positions and a contact sheet for you to review. More information will be provided to attendees before and during the retreat regarding discernment and open positions. Currently, the Regional Coordinator and Liturgist positions will be discerned at the retreat.

More Information 

Have a question or need to talk? Please email Jennifer Brennan at europeancomms@mccw.org.