Confirmation Retreat Weekends are $175 per teen. This cost covers all meals, snacks, materials, and staffing for the 2-day retreat. Meals provided include lunch, dinner, and snacks on Saturday, as well as breakfast, lunch, and a snack on Sunday.

Saturday‍
Drop-Off: 9:30-50 AM
Pick-Up: 8:30 PM

Sunday‍
Drop-Off: 8:40-9:00 AM
Pick-Up: 3:00 PM

You can drop off your child at the NET Center Events entrance located at 110 Crusader Ave. W., West Saint Paul, MN 55118. Youth who are driving themselves are welcome to park in our parking lot.
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We encourage all youth to leave their phones at home. If they bring their phones, they will be asked to check them in at drop-off and can collect them at dismissal. This allows them to fully engage in the retreat environment without distractions from friends or social media.
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If a teen is unable to attend the retreat on their selected weekend and needs to reschedule, there will be a $50 rescheduling fee. If a child is feeling unwell and unable to attend his or her retreat, the $50 rescheduling fee will be waived. If a teen cannot reschedule their retreat, NET will issue a $100 refund.

Unfortunately, we do not allow youth to come and go throughout the retreat as they will miss important talks and sessions. Please see our Attendance Policy: Full retreat attendance is required. Special accommodations are only made for serious family or health-related circumstances. Please contact crw@netusa.org if you need to discuss this. Sporting events or extracurricular activities are not valid reasons for arriving late or leaving early.

All youth

- Water bottle
- Bible
- Journal or notebook
- Pen
- Wear casual clothes (there will be activities that include running and playing)
- On Sunday, please wear or pack dress clothes for Sunday Mass

Overnight youth

- Sleeping bag & pillow
- Toiletries & towel

- For the safety of anyone with food allergies, please do not bring any food (chips, candy, soda, etc.)
- Drugs, alcohol, or tobacco (including e-cigarettes)
- Headphones or Airpods
- Cell phone (see Cell Phone Policy)

Confirmation Retreat Weekends are 2-day retreats. We can provide overnight accommodations for youth who are traveling a great distance to attend the retreat. Indicate that you will need overnight accommodations when registering. Housing is provided at no additional cost. See details below for accommodations.

The NET Center has both women’s and men’s dorm rooms and they are in separate hallways. Each dorm has a shower room, toilet room, two sinks, five bunk beds, and cubbies to hold clothes and bags. Youth will be assigned to dorms based on parish and grade. For security and safety purposes, we hire overnight staff to stay up throughout the night to ensure sleep and dorm safety and to be awake and alert if emergencies occur.

We ask that participants not bring snacks or drinks (other than water). This is to protect other youth that have allergies. The NET Center is a nut-free facility and all our food is nut-free. Meal accommodations can be made for those with allergies to egg, dairy, gluten, and nuts and those who are vegetarian or vegan. Please indicate that you need these accommodations through the registration process.

*This is a sample schedule and is subject to change

‍Saturday
10:00 AM - Opening Session
10:45 AM - Small Group 1 with a snack
11:15 AM - Large Group Activity
12:30 PM - Lunch
1:30 PM - Session 1
2:00 PM - Small Group 2
2:30 PM - Large Group Activity
3:15 PM - Session 2
3:45 PM - Small Group 3 
4:15 PM - Large Group Activity
5:15 PM - Dinner
5:45 PM - Large Group Activity
7:00 PM - Adoration and Confession
8:30 PM - Dismissal for youth not spending the night
8:45 PM - Activity for youth spending the night
10:30 PM - Lights Out

Sunday
9:00 AM - Breakfast
9:45 AM - Session 3
10:30 AM - Small Group 4
11:00 AM - Large Group Activity
12:00 PM - Lunch
1:00 PM - Building Clean-Up
2:00 PM - Mass
3:00 PM - Dismissal

Please complete and submit an Event Waiver (Spanish version) at least two weeks before your scheduled retreat. If you have any questions, please contact our Local Outreach Coordinator at 651.450.6833 x224 or crw@netusa.org

Group reservations are available for 15 or more youth. For more information or to request a reservation, email crw@netusa.org.

If a participant’s behavior becomes disruptive, inappropriate, or if they leave the retreat center without permission, we will contact their parents and request they be picked up. This will result in the retreat being incomplete.

NET Ministries thoroughly screens and trains every NET Missionary before their work with young people. Specifically, NET follows the recommendations of the “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People,” created by the National Catholic Conference of Bishops (now USCCB) in June 2002. Per these recommendations, all of our missionaries undergo an intense, comprehensive training process to ensure their suitability for work with youth before they conduct any ministry with youth. 

1. In the initial screening and selection process, NET requires several references for each potential NET Missionary who can testify to the suitability of that potential missionary. Each reference is originally submitted in writing and then verified by our staff. This is part of the extensive application process, which includes two live interviews and a letter from their pastor stating they are in good standing with the Catholic Church.

2. NET Missionaries undergo a criminal background check specialized to accommodate their age. These checks are conducted by The McDowell Agency, the agency being utilized by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. This includes but is not limited to, a search on the National Sex Offenders Database and the USA Criminal Index (which is similar to fingerprinting) but does NOT include fingerprinting.

3. NET Missionaries are trained and certified in safe environment through the “VIRTUS–Protecting God’s Children” course by the National Catholic Risk Retention Group, Inc. NET Missionaries are also required to successfully complete NET’s training process, which is conducted prior to and during their ministry.
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During this training, the NET Missionaries receive instruction concerning:
- appropriate standards of conduct for those working with youth;
- inappropriate speech, touch, and relationships with youth;
- requirements for creating a safe environment for all retreatants;
- guidelines for ensuring their own personal safety.

4. All missionaries annually acknowledge, by their signature, that they have received, understood, and intend to conduct themselves in accordance with NET Ministries’ Personal Conduct Policies. Once the NET Missionaries are in active ministry, they continue to receive ongoing training and supervision by NET staff members, which includes weekly contact and monthly on-site visits. Personnel records, including the paperwork mentioned above, are all kept on each individual missioanry at the NET Center. A more comprehensive explanation is available if needed by contacting our Chief Operating Officer, Brenda Grubb (brendag@netusa.org, 651.450.6833 x104).