NET Ministries conducts retreats for 6th – 12th grade aged youth. We provide a variety of retreat themes that include dramatic skits, meaningful activities, and music, making every retreat a unique and Catholic experience. While the theme varies, the message is always the same: “In Jesus Christ, the son of God made man, who died and rose from the dead, salvation is offered to all, as a gift of God’s grace and mercy.” (Evangelization in the Modern World, Pope Paul VI). NET Retreats are a great component to integrate into your existing Catholic Youth Program, Parish/School Programs, and Youth Nights.
2022 – 2023 NET Retreat Themes
The Catholic Church is huge. What’s Your Focus?
NET Missionaries present the Gospel. Our themes explore different aspects of the Faith and look at life through many different lenses. What do your youth need to hear?
Click on the thumbnail to access our Parent Sheets
(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.
(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.
(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.
(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.
(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.
(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.
(Men’s/Women’s)
What does it mean to be men and women of God? In the context of men’s and women’s sessions, this theme explores authentic masculinity in response to Christ’s example of laying down His life for others, and authentic femininity through imitating Our Blessed Mother, Mary.
Liturgical Themes
Advent | Christmas | Lent | Easter
(Advent/Lent)
Suffering is inevitable. There are two ways to suffer: with Christ or without Him. Advent and Lent are specific seasons of the year when we work to unite our suffering with Christ’s so that we can experience his light and resurrection. Jesus came to earth and died on the Cross to bring us abundant life, and we can choose to participate in that life, especially as we prepare for Christmas and Easter.
(Christmas/Easter)
We all desire happiness, and it is natural for us to search for happiness and fulfillment. In this search, we eventually realize the world does not satisfy us. Jesus came to earth, died, and rose from the dead to give us eternal happiness and fulfillment, and that gift is what we celebrate at Christmas and Easter.