What is an ACTS Retreat?

An ACTS Retreat is a parish-based event which offers parishioners an opportunity to experience the love of Jesus Christ. This in turn fosters a desire for intentional discipleship.

ACTS Retreats are given by parishioners for parishioners, and in this way, serve to build Christian community at the parish and in the diocese.

In the Diocese of Amarillo, ACTS Retreats are planned and organized at the diocesan level.

The ACTS Retreat begins Thursday evening and ends with Sunday Mass with the diocesan ACTS community. Retreats for men and retreats for women are given separately. Activities and discussions throughout the retreat focus on Adoration, Community, Theology, and Service, from which the ACTS acronym is derived. Holy Scripture and the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church are the guides for these retreats. 

While utilizing prayer, service, and teaching, the ACTS Retreat meets people where they are in their spiritual journey and invites them to experience God in a manner that is both personal and communal.

In this way, the ACTS Retreat fulfills the mission of:

“Spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ among Catholic communities through ACTS.”
 

Each retreat is facilitated by a retreat "team" composed of 20-30 volunteers who have attended prior ACTS retreats. Chosen by the retreat director, the team organizes the retreat, facilitates the retreat activities, and ministers to the needs of the retreatants throughout the retreat weekend.

It’s Spiritual Reflection…

The ACTS Retreat experience is rooted in the Pascal Mystery in that retreatants are invited to reflect on the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
 

…And Spiritual Surrender

Throughout the weekend, retreatants are invited to prayerfully consider how they can respond to His love by spiritually surrendering to Jesus in order to have new life with Him.

After Attending

Those who attend an ACTS retreat share in an experience that has impacted more than one million lives worldwide since the first retreat in 1987. There are numerous testimonies describing retreatants who were evangelized through a personal encounter with Jesus Christ. They witness to becoming better fathers, mothers, husbands, wives and children.

Parishes have been revitalized, diaconate classes have been filled, and all seek to deepen their relationship with Christ through prayer and service.

The Results

As a result, ACTS is supported by bishops and priests worldwide as a legitimate participant in the Church’s New Evangelization. Through ACTS, the laity respond to their baptismal call, and seek to participate in the apostolic mission of the Church to “go and make disciples of all nations,” and this has been found to be good.