Events

2025 Adult and Lay Formation Holy Family Retreats and Pilgrimage

Feb

2025

9:00 a

“And when [Joseph and Mary] had performed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. And the child [Jesus] grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him” (Luke 2:39-40)

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The Diocese of Winona-Rochester is proud to present a series of retreats and a pilgrimage for its Catholic adult population. This diocesan event will serve as ongoing adult faith formation for lay Catholics to deepen their knowledge, understanding, and appreciation for the Catholic faith. It will also provide Catholic adults who are discerning whether to join the next Institute if Lay Formation (ILF) class in Fall 2025 a snapshot of what they can experience and expect from a typical ILF formation session.

The theme for this diocesan event is The Holy Family and it will comprise three formation retreats. Each retreat will have a particular focus, either on the Holy Family as a whole or on one of its members. During these retreats, retreatants will receive important faith formation and also be given time for prayer, reflection, and small group discussion with their peers. The culmination of this diocesan event will be an opportunity to participate in the annual, twenty-one mile Walk to Mary pilgrimage to the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion in Wisconsin.

Dates and Locations

Holy Family Retreat | February 8, 2025 | 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. | St. Edward Parish, Austin, MN

Retreat Information and Schedule

St. Joseph Retreat | March 15, 2025 | 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. | St. Joseph Parish, Owatonna, MN

Retreat Information and Schedule

St. Mary Retreat | April 12, 2025 | 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. | Ss. Peter and Paul, Blue Earth, MN

Retreat Information and Schedule

Walk to Mary Pilgrimage | May 2-4, 2025 | Champion, WI

Download the flyer here. Please print and share this with your parish community!

About the Walk to Mary

What is it? Why should I go? The Walk to Mary is an annual, twenty-one mile pilgrimage walk in Wisconsin. The pilgrimage begins at the National Shrine of St. Joseph located in St. Norbert College and ends at the only Church-approved Marian apparition site in the United States of America, the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion. In 1859, Mary appeared to Adele Brise in Champion, Wisconsin instructing her to teach the Catholic faith to the children of the land. On this pilgrimage, pilgrims not only remember this beautifully simple Marian apparition, but they also journey spiritually with Joseph and Mary to witness their love and fidelity to Jesus Christ. People of diverse ages, races, and nationalities all come together to participate in this sacred experience.

Who can attend? The Walk to Mary is open to people of all ages specifically for people interested in discerning to enroll in the Institute of Lay Formation in September of 2025.

For a detailed look at the pilgrimage, click here. Please print and share this with your parish community!

Registration

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to receive a discounted price for the Holy Family Retreats and Pilgrimage! When registering, enter the promo code HolyFamily (no spaces and capitalize “H” and “F”) to receive a 20% discount for any of the retreats or the pilgrimage that you sign up for.

Those who register for all three retreats and the pilgrimage automatically receive a 20% discount. They can also apply the above promo code to their registration order form to receive an additional 20% discount. That’s a 40% discount on one’s registration fee for those attending all the retreats and pilgrimage!!! These discounts are a limited time offer and will no longer be available after Friday, February 7th. So, register now to enjoy this benefit!