Central Region Retreat 2019

Strengthened by Grace

Conception Abbey
Missouri
Feb 28- Mar 3, 2019

Sisters in Christ,

We would like to invite and encourage you to attend the MCCW Central Region Retreat: Strengthened By Grace. This 3 night, 4-day retreat will be held on the beautiful serene grounds of Conception Abbey in Conception Abbey, MO., about an hour and a half from Kansas City.

Please come and “Be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus,” – 2 Timothy 2:1 with passionate speakers and reverent prayer.

You can look forward to spending your time retreating in reflection and meditation through Adoration, Confession, Daily Mass and many forms of personal and group prayer. We will be welcoming Lisa Hendey, host of CatholicMom.com and author of the book The Grace Of Yes, as our keynote speaker. We will also be joined by local clergy and MCCW- Worldwide Leadership for spiritual guidance and reflection.

We hope you can make it and see this as a time to fill your cup!

Faithfully,
Rebecca Lockhart
Central Region Coordinator

Full details are available on our EventBrite link including logistics, cost, what’s included and more:

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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 or a member of a CWOC, we do have women who attend from installations where there is not an active CWOC and we would be happy to have you!

How to Register

All registrations must be completed on Eventbrite. All sales will close on 8 February 2019. There is limited time, so if you are interested in attending, I highly encourage you to register as soon as possible.

Cost of Attendance

The Registration Fee is a nonrefundable $60 paid through Eventbrite before 8 February.

The meals/lodging fee is paid directly to Abbey and this cost is per person:

-$225 Private Room/Bathroom W/ Meals St. Gabriel Hall

-$180 Shared Room W/Meals St. Gabriel Hall

-$145 Shared Room W/ Meals Marian Hall

-$185 Private Room Shared Bathroom W/ Meals Marian Hall

Please indicate which room option you would prefer when registering. While we can’t guarantee that will be where you will be placed, we will try our best to accommodate. Meals and lodging will be paid directly to the Abbey during the checkout process on Sunday.

Paying for Registration

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

• Choose ONLINE at Eventbrite via CC (Small Fee $4.06)
• Choose MAIL-IN/INVOICE then mail a check noted “Central Retreat” in the memo line
  MCCW, Inc.
  PO Box 4456
  Washington DC 20017-999
• If your CHAPEL is paying by invoice please read and choose “MAIL-IN / INVOICE” ticket
  Chapel Subsidy Payments – Chapels pay by electronic transfer.
  • Local Chapel CWOC/MCCW presidents please email the MCCW Financial Manager finance@mccw.org and registrar@mccw.org to advise the following:
    • Chapel Name (Base/Post)
    • POC: Parish Coordinator and/or CWOC President (Please include emails and or phone numbers.)
    • Names (& contact info) of registrants receiving a subsidy and the amount
    • PO Request: Date Approved
    • Date of payment by DFAS – Ask your Chapel NCOIC to communicate with DFAS on the payment date.
    • Amount of subsidy per person being paid
    • An invoice will be provided once we receive your email with the information.

Scholarships Available

If you are in need of financial assistance for the lodging and meals portion, the Abbey has so graciously offered a very limited amount of scholarships for that portion. Please email for more information.

Lodging

Marian Hall – Is a dormitory style hall made up of mostly double rooms. If you have a large group and want to stay close together this may be the best fit for your group.

St. Gabriel Hall – Is double rooms with bathrooms shared between the two occupants. This is a more private style room but still shared space.

You may request a private room in either hall for a little bit more. Please specify which room you would like and whether it will be shared or private.

Bring personal items, soap, hygiene items, spiritual items (rosary, bible, veil/pashmina), comfortable clothing, extra blankets as it will be cold and extra mattress pad if desired and any additional comfort items.

About Conception Abbey

The Abbey is a beautiful and serene campus with a gift shop, dining facility, and a large chapel. Conception Abbey is pretty secluded so please plan accordingly as there is not a store close by.

Travel and Directions

From Kansas City: (90 miles), take I-29 North to U.S. 71 North towards Maryville to Highway U. Turn East (right) on Highway U, continuing to Highway N. Turn South (right) on Highway N, continuing to Highway VV. Turn East (left) on Highway VV. Continue on Highway VV to the Abbey entrance, on your right.

From Omaha: (120 miles), take I-29 South to U.S. 136 East through Maryville. Go past Conception Junction to Highway VV at Conception. Turn South (right) on Highway VV to the Abbey entrance.

Alternate route: take I-29 S. to Hamburg, then 333 East from Hamburg to 59, the J-64 to Braddyville. Go South on 71 to Maryville and continue as above.

From Des Moines: (125 miles), take I-35 South to U.S. 136 West (right) at Bethany. Continue on U.S. 136 to Highway VV at Conception. Turn South (left) to the Abbey entrance.

Are Children Welcome?

Our goal for this retreat is to fill each woman’s cup through Adoration, Confession, Daily Mass and many forms of personal and group prayer. We will be retreating in reflection and meditation and we want to be able to provide each woman an opportunity to fill their cups. That being said, babies in arms are allowed but there is no cribs/pack and plays available due to the nature of the retreat space. Private rooms are available so please email centralcoordinator@mccw.org to coordinate any needs when bringing a child.

Food Options

Thursday: Dinner

Friday: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Saturday: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Wine & Cheese Social

Sunday: Breakfast, Lunch

NOTE: The Abbey is in a pretty secluded part of MO and the nearest store is 15 minutes out so please plan accordingly if you will want or need snacks in between the meals.

If you have any food allergies or other dietary restrictions, PLEASE note when registering so accommodations can be made to every meal. We do not want to have any emergencies or have anyone not receive a good nutritious meal. All dietary needs can be met.

Refunds

The Registration Fee is not refundable; however, you are able to transfer your registration to another woman. Please Contact Rebecca Lockhart at centralcoordinator@mccw.org if you need to transfer your registration.

Recommended Attire

Please dress comfortably but with a spirit of respect for the spiritual nature of the retreat facility. Temperatures in February will range from 40-50 degrees, it will be cold especially at night so please bring multiple layers. Please consider bringing a sweater/jacket, and comfortable shoes for walking the stations of the cross. Please bring something comfortable to work out/stretch in. Prepare accordingly by following a weather app that will give you the best information for the days leading up to and during the retreat. Have a question or need to talk? Please email Rebecca Lockhart at centralcoordinator@mccw.org

Pray for Each Other

One aspect of our retreat will be pairing each woman with a prayer sister. Once paired up, you will be given the name of your prayer sister and in the days leading up to and during the retreat, we ask that you pray for your specific sister. During the retreat, it’s customary to give your prayer sister small cards or notes and some women may choose to give small gifts. We only ask that you share small notes with them, it does not have to be fancy, once a day during the retreat. On Saturday evening during the wine and cheese social we will do a prayer sister reveal so you can find out who your sister is.