Summer Retreats
“On this retreat I was able to experience genuine spiritual healing which I carried home with me. The compassion and understanding I received on the weekend touched me deeply.”
— Carol
Awake will be hosting two weekend retreats in 2026 in West Bend, Wisconsin. These retreats are designed specifically for those who have experienced sexual abuse by a Catholic leader and are seeking community and support on this journey. We will host a women’s retreat July 17–19, 2026 and a co-ed retreat August 7–9, 2026. There is no cost for survivors to attend.
Our survivor retreats include:
A welcoming, supportive community that accepts you just as you are
Reflections from fellow survivors
Thoughtful, trauma-sensitive prayer services
Space for personal reflection and time in nature
Opportunities for small group sharing
Optional Mass, Reconciliation, and Anointing, for those who are interested
Friendship and joy!
Awake began hosting transformative weekend retreats for abuse survivors in July 2023. Our retreats take place at the beautiful Cedar Valley Retreat Center in West Bend, Wisconsin, just north of Milwaukee. Retreats have ranged from 17 to 26 participants, traveling from all over the United States; many have chosen to return year after year.
You can read about our first three retreats in these blog posts:
“I Will Never Forget This Weekend”: Transformative Experiences at Awake’s First Retreat for Abuse Survivors.
“Without Saying a Word, You are Safe and Understood”: Reflections from Awake’s Second Annual Survivor Retreat.
“I Was Surrounded by Beauty and Glimmers of Hope and Goodness”: Reflections from Awake’s Third Annual Survivor Retreat.
If you have experienced sexual abuse by a Catholic leader and would like to be notified when registration opens for our 2026 retreats, please contact Executive Director Sara Larson at saralarson@awakecommunity.org.
Some of the retreatants and retreat leaders at our 2025 retreat.
A collaborative art project from our 2024 retreat.
Our retreats also offer time for personal reflection, prayer, and contemplation in nature.
“This was the first time that I felt that I had space to grieve what I lost through my abuse, and subsequently begin to see the sprouts of new life coming out in my life after the abuse and trauma.”
—Anonymous
“[This was] as compassionate, empathic, and supportive a Catholic community as I've ever experienced, not afraid to confront hard subjects and sensitive to the individual's experience.”
—Colin
