A residential weekend at the Carmelite Priory, in the serenity of Boars Hill, Oxford
- When
- Friday 11 to Sunday 13 December 2026
- Arrive
- Friday, 3:00–4:30pm (UK time)
- Depart
- Sunday, after Mass at 11:00am
- Where
- Carmelite Priory, Boars Hill, Oxford
- With
- Liam Finnerty OCD and Clement Obiorah OCD
Arrival and registration on Friday 11 December, 3:00–4:30pm (UK time), at the Carmelite Priory, Boars Hill, Oxford, with orientation from 4:30pm. The retreat ends with Mass at 11:00am on Sunday 13 December, followed by departure.
Make ready the heart
How often do we approach Christmas carrying hidden exhaustion, quiet griefs, or old patterns that rob us of the season’s joy? This Advent, step away from the noise and enter a sacred space of healing.
Centred on the Annunciation (Luke 1:26–38) and guided by the mystery of Immanuel (God with us), this residential retreat invites you to listen deeply to your inner life, lay down legacy burdens, and make ready the heart.
Through Scripture, silent prayer, and the gentle companionship of grace, discover how the God who spoke to Mary speaks directly to the quiet, waiting places of your soul, bringing healing, wholeness, and the true joy of Christmas.
Seen, heard and named
The retreat explores inner fragmentation, the burdens we carry, belonging, and the healing power of being truly named: seen, heard and witnessed. These themes belong at the heart of spiritual formation, of the Bible’s picture of the human person, and of the healing power of Christ.
Hidden exiles of the heart
In Carmelite tradition and Scripture, the human heart has many rooms. Some hold the weary, fearful or defensive parts of ourselves, which need to meet the healing that begins with the coming of Christ.
Salvation history and our lineage
Scripture takes genealogy and family lineage very seriously: witness the genealogy of Christ in Matthew 1 and Luke 3. We all inherit cultural or familial sorrows, silences and habits. In Christ, our lineage is redeemed. We trace our true belonging not just to human history, but to the New Adam and the family of God.
Biblical naming and the Annunciation
In Scripture, when God changes a name or calls someone by name (“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God”, Luke 1:30), it is an act of creation, rescue and restoration. Mary’s fiat, “Let it be done to me”, is the great model of opening the hidden parts of the heart to the transforming presence of God.
Four movements, from weariness to the joy of Christmas
Each session follows Mary through the first chapter of St Luke’s Gospel, anchoring one movement of the heart in one passage of Scripture.
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The Honest Annunciation: bringing our real selves to God
Luke 1:26–29Friday evening
“And she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in what manner this salutation might be.”
Mary was troubled and questioning. The retreat opens by giving permission to acknowledge what is actually in our hearts: the fatigue, the unspoken burdens, the fragmented places. God meets us in our questioning, not our pretence.
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The Divine Interruption: “Do not be afraid”
Luke 1:30–33Saturday
“And the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary…’”
We look at the protective walls, anxieties, and historical or family weights we carry. Immanuel breaks into the locked rooms of the heart with words of absolute safety and divine election.
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The Sacred Fiat: yielding the unnamed places
Luke 1:38Saturday
“And Mary said, ‘Behold the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word.’”
We explore inner consent. True healing means letting God into the places we have guarded or silenced. Like Mary, we learn to surrender our story to the Author of Life.
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The Magnificat: reclaiming joy and song
Luke 1:46–55Sunday morning
“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.”
From contraction to expansion. Just as Mary breaks out in praise, the unburdened soul discovers a renewed capacity for joy, readying the heart not only to observe Christmas but to experience Christ’s birth within.
The shape of the weekend
A respite from the frenetic energy of December: generous silence, an unhurried rhythm of prayer, and time to rest.
Friday
11 December
- Arrival and registration, 3:00–4:30pm
- Orientation, 4:30–5:30pm
- Movement I: The Honest Annunciation, 7:00pm
- Night prayer, and the Great Silence begins
Saturday
12 December
- Movement II: The Divine Interruption
- Movement III: The Sacred Fiat
- Mass, silent adoration and contemplative walks
- The Sacrament of Reconciliation
Sunday
13 December, Gaudete Sunday
- Movement IV: The Magnificat
- Mass at 11:00am
- Departure after Mass
What the weekend offers
- Generous blocks of silence and silent adoration
- Contemplative walks
- The Sacrament of Reconciliation, the great Christian encounter of healing
- The Liturgy of the Hours and the celebration of Mass
- Guided journaling prompts drawn from Scripture
Cared for throughout. This is a retreat of prayer and rest, not a therapy programme. Every activity is an invitation, never a requirement, and trained listeners are available throughout the weekend.
Two of the questions you will carry into prayer:
What inner voice or weariness has been whispering silently in your soul this past year?
Where do you most need the reassurance of “Do not be afraid” from Immanuel?
Your retreat guides
The retreat is facilitated by two Discalced Carmelites of the Centre for Applied Carmelite Spirituality.
Liam Finnerty OCD
Clement Obiorah OCD
How to book
This is a residential retreat, so places are reserved in advance. Book the retreat fee online. The link to book accommodation will be in your order confirmation email. If you need help at any point, write to us and we will be glad to assist.
- When
- Friday 11 to Sunday 13 December 2026
- Arrival and departure
- Arrive Friday 3:00–4:30pm (UK time); depart Sunday after Mass at 11:00am
- Where
- Carmelite Priory, Boars Hill, Oxford
- Retreat fee
- £155
1. Book the retreat
Reserve your place on In person advent retreat 2026 for £155. This pays for the retreat, all meals and refreshments.
2. Book your accommodation
The Booking link to reserve your room can be found in your order confirmation email.
For any queries regarding accommodation email: retreat@carmelite.org.uk
Need help booking?
Email admin@cacs.org.uk
If cost is a difficulty, please contact us in confidence.
Centre for Applied Carmelite Spirituality, Oxford
“Behold the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word.” Luke 1:38