FAQs: Sacramental Retreats

FAQ: Retreats

Why should our students make a retreat at the Miraculous Medal Shrine (in person/virtually) when retreats can be provided within our own schools/churches?
- Though it is true that you could provide your own retreat, there are many benefits. Such benefits include:
  - Value of our Programming: Our retreats have been developed by teachers and theological experts. Each retreat provides content that is age appropriate, engaging and encourages students to explore the many ways in which we as Catholics can grow in our Faith. Our goal is to foster an environment that allows students to delve deeper in their prayer life while fulfilling the mission that God has instilled within their hearts at Baptism.
    Most importantly, our retreats are fun and ignite a spark of desire and excitement for our Catholic faith in students!
  - Virtually No Additional Work for Teachers/DRE’s: Our retreat programs are all encompassing. We do the work for you! Our comprehensive team will develop targeted lesson plans with learning outcomes in mind, activities, and service opportunities designed to keep students engaged.
  - Unique Experience: According to Pope Francis, “The shrine is an open door to the New Evangelization.” Our distinct designation as a Shrine devoted to Mary allows us to provide experiences that other locations cannot. Whether in person or virtual, these experiences include induction into the Miraculous Medal Society with real medals for all students, Interactive storytelling and conversations with a live Saint, access to many different cultural versions of Mary and an emphasis on the importance of the rosary.
What virtual platform will you be using for this retreat? Is it safe for Students?
- Safety is our number one priority at the Miraculous Medal Shrine. We have chosen a platform, Zoom, that is safe to use and easy to navigate (for students and educators/ministers). This particular platform can be accessed on all devices including desktop, laptop, tablet, and phone.
- Secured Zoom Meeting Settings (from Zoom website):
  - Waiting Rooms: IT Admins can enforce waiting rooms at the account, group, or user level. You can also require them for all participants, or just for guests not included in your account. If made optional, meeting hosts can enable Waiting Rooms in the “Settings” menu of their Zoom profile.
  - Passcodes: Passcodes can be set at the individual meeting level or can be enabled at the user, group, or account level for all meetings and webinars. Account owners and admins can also lock passcode settings, to require passcodes for all meetings and webinars on their account.
  - Two- Factor Authentication: Two-Factor Authentication identifies online users by requiring them to present two or more pieces of credentials that authenticate their ownership of the account, such as a password, something the user owns (a smart card or mobile device), or something the user has (fingerprints, voice).
  - Join by Domain: Only authenticated users can join meetings which requires individuals to sign into a zoom account and/or ensure their e-mail address is on an approved list before allowing them to join.
  - Lock the meeting: When a host locks a Zoom Meeting that’s already started, no new participants can join, even if they have the meeting ID and passcode (if you have required one).
  - Click here: for other added safety features
Will this retreat keep our students engaged?
- We know the struggles of sitting in front of a screen all day, so we have come up with an itinerary filled with interactive activities and small breaks to keep students engaged with our retreat content. Our interactive activities include games, polls, live Q&A, and so much more. Our retreats are catered to fit your particular needs and the size of your group or class.
How long are your retreats?
- Our virtual retreats are typically three hours long (breaks included). However, these retreats can be extended with premium content such as interactive virtual mass, scavenger hunts, and so much more.
Can you provide a sample itinerary of a typical retreat?
- Sample Retreat Schedule
  - 9:00 a.m. - Virtual Arrival, Opening Prayer, and Icebreaker
  - 9:15 a.m. – Brief History of the Miraculous Medal Shrine
  - 9:30 a.m. – Shrine Tour with St. Catherine Labourev
  - 10:15 a.m. –Main Presentation and Activity
  - 11:00 a.m. – Second Presentation and Activity
  - 11:45 a.m. – Closing Prayer and Blessing
  - 12:00 p.m. – Virtual Departure
Do you provide retreats tailored to the needs of my students? Do you provide themed retreats?
- Yes, if you would like our presentations to focus on a particular topic/theme, we can create content tailored to your unique needs. In the past, we have created retreats for groups who wanted to focus on topics such as Fruits of the Holy Spirit, the Seven Deadly Sins and Servant Leadership just to name a few. We enjoy creating content tailored to your needs. It makes the retreat experience all the more engaging for your youth.
Who is St. Catherine Labouré and how is she incorporated in your retreats?
- St. Catherine Laboure not only enlivens the history of one of our most Beloved Saints of the Miraculous Medal Shrine, but she comes alive in a way that is well received by students (or any visitor of the Shrine).
- Our unique and engaging program seeks to dramatize St. Catherine Labouré’s life story in a way that is more relatable to the youth. The actress brings St. Catherine to life through direct address and improvisational interaction.
- In our retreat programming, St. Catherine encourages all students that they are called to be saints just like her. They are all called to holiness like she was when she was their age. It’s a powerful and memorable message that students will cling to for years to come.
How much does it cost to book a virtual retreat with the Miraculous Medal Shrine?

Can you also provide Faculty Retreats?

Yes, we work in conjunction with the Philadelphia Archdiocesan Office for Catechetical Formation to provide Faculty Retreats. With our comprehensive faculty retreat program, all participants will fulfill the requirements for a Catechetical credit. We offer a new state of the art business center in which to conduct the retreats. This center is equipped with numerous conference rooms, a full kitchen and flat screen tv’s for presentations.

I would like to receive more information because I am interested in booking a virtual retreat. Who should I contact?

You may contact our Associate Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, Carolina Soares Nemo at (215) 532-1833 or email her at csoares@cammonline.org.