My Vocation is Love: A Weekend with St Thérèse and the Little Way

“In the heart of the Church, my Mother, I will be love.” — St Thérèse of Lisieux

Some saints feel out of reach. Thérèse of Lisieux does not. She founded no order, never travelled as a missionary and wrote no great work of theology. She lived a short, hidden life inside the walls of a Carmelite convent in Normandy and died at just twenty-four. Yet her autobiography, Story of a Soul, has been read by millions, and in 1997 she was named a Doctor of the Church, one of only a handful of women ever given that title.

Her secret was what she called the “Little Way”: love lived out in small, ordinary things, with complete trust in God. This November, we invite you to spend a weekend exploring it at Minsteracres.

Discovering her vocation

As a young nun, Thérèse longed to do great things for God. She wanted to be a missionary, a martyr and a priest all at once. Then, reading St Paul’s words on love, she found her answer and wrote one of the most-loved lines in Christian spirituality: “In the heart of the Church, my Mother, I will be love.”

That discovery gives our retreat its title. Her vocation was not one role among many, but the love at the heart of them all. It is a vocation open to every one of us, whatever our circumstances.

What is the Little Way?

The Little Way is sometimes called spiritual childhood: coming to God with the simple trust of a child who knows they are loved. Thérèse didn’t rely on her own strength or achievements. She offered the small acts of kindness, patience and prayer that nobody notices, and trusted God with the rest.

It speaks especially to anyone who feels too busy, too tired or too ordinary for a “serious” spiritual life. Thérèse shows that holiness can be found in the kitchen, the office, the hospital ward or the school run.

The heart of Carmelite spirituality

Thérèse belonged to the great Carmelite tradition of St Teresa of Ávila and St John of the Cross, a tradition centred on prayer as friendship with God, on silence, and on the journey inward. Over the weekend we will discover the beauty and riches of Carmelite spirituality through her eyes.

My Vocation is Love — Friday 13 to Sunday 15 November

Led by Gillian Coxhead, the weekend weaves together talks, times of prayer and silence as we follow Thérèse’s Little Way of trust and absolute surrender to Jesus. There will be plenty of space to rest, reflect and walk in the grounds, which should be in their late-autumn colours by then.

Whether Thérèse is an old friend or a new name to you, this is a chance to go deeper, slowly, in good company.

Friday 13 – Sunday 15 November. £220 suggested donation, residential with meals.
Book My Vocation is Love

Why Minsteracres?

Minsteracres sits in its own peaceful grounds between Consett and Hexham, with free parking, and is easily reached from Newcastle, Durham and the Tyne Valley. It has been a place of prayer and hospitality for generations, rooted in the Passionist tradition, and everyone is welcome, whether you have been on many retreats or this is your very first.

You can book online using the link above or by ringing the office on 01434 673 248. Our retreats need a minimum number of participants to run, so an early booking is always the most helpful kind.

If the Little Way speaks to you, we would love to welcome you this November.