Schedule a Retreat

NET Retreats are designed for students in grades 7-12. The NET Team will travel to a location of your choice to conduct the retreat.

NET Retreats are conducted from September to May and can range from four hours to two days. We recommend a retreat be no longer than eight hours. If you would like a retreat longer than eight hours, we suggest scheduling an overnight retreat.

Retreat teams aim to provide momentum for events in the existing programs present in the parishes and Catholic schools hosting the team.

• Trained NET Missionaries
• Setup and cleanup
• Large group presentations
• Small group discussions
• Games, both general and Gospel-based
• Dramas
• Music
• Guided prayer time
• Men’s and women’s sessions*
• Prayer labs*
• Recreational time*
• Confession/Adoration/Mass*

*Varies based on length of the retreat and priest availability

“This is a really wonderful group of young people whose genuine love of the Lord and others was amazing to see!”

Shelly, Director of Religious Education, Newburg, OR

“Collaborating with [the NET Team] was exactly what we were hoping for. The team shared their enthusiasm for Jesus in the Eucharist, and for life, in an uplifting, interactive, and engaging manner… The NET Team shared their love of the Catholic faith, while also quickly creating relationships with our students that allowed them to journey spiritually together in a short amount of time.”

Will, Principal, Los Angeles, CA

“Our students had a FANTASTIC time, and we could not have asked for a better experience. It was fun, it allowed for connection, it allowed time for prayer, it prioritized the sacraments, it had a good amount of breaks and silliness...all of the things the students needed to have a great retreat.”

Jennifer, Coordinator of Parish Evangelization, Dixon, IL

NET Retreats have a basic skeleton, but each retreat is unique to your parish or school based on the theme that you select and the length of the retreat. Each theme has a presentation that focuses on the Gospel in light of that theme and small group questions to further discussion with the youth. The NET Team will select from the dramas and activities in their repertoire that best reinforce that theme for retreatants.

2023-2024 Retreat Themes

True Presence (The Eucharist)

Is Jesus Christ truly present in the Eucharist, and if so, how does that change our lives? The life of Bl. Carlo Acutis, a teenager who is on his way to becoming a canonized saint, answers those questions by showing us that we don’t need to be very old to recognize the beauty and utmost importance of the Eucharist.

Never Alone (Confirmation) 

At confirmation, Christ seals us with the gifts of the Holy Spirit so that we can be better equipped to spread the Gospel like the Apostles at Pentecost. But it’s not enough to just receive these gifts. We have to accept them and choose to use them.

More Than Conquerors (Suffering) 

Trials are inevitable, but when we encounter them, do we allow Christ to be a part of them? Our hope is in Jesus, who rose from the dead; he has conquered death. Through the lens of hope and trust, we explore how God is a good Father that helps us face any trial.

Free Indeed (Identity in Christ) 

Sin separates us from God’s love, distorting our understanding of our identity as His beloved children. At our baptism and by the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, we are freed from our slavery to sin. This gives us the freedom to know, love, and serve God in this life and to remain with Him forever in the next.

Choose Joy (True Happiness) 

God created us to live a life of happiness, but often we choose instant gratification over authentic joy. God has given every person free will. With free will, we can choose to accept God’s love, or we can choose to reject it. The world suggests that we can be happy without God. But, it is only by freely accepting God’s will for our lives that we can find authentic joy.

Love One Another (Authentic Friendship)

Our relationships with the people in our lives are meant to reflect our relationship with God and bring us closer to Him. Still, because of our fallen nature,  we experience broken relationships. Through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, we can be given the grace to forgive, helping us enter into more authentic friendships.

NET Catalyst goes beyond the one-time retreat experience.

NET Catalyst events allow the same NET Team to come back to a community throughout the school year. This enables NET Missionaries to form relationships, keep young people accountable, and encourage them to follow Christ through regular interactions.

If you want to learn more or are interested in scheduling NET Catalyst events, please contact your scheduling representative or fill out the general interest form below.