Congregation of Our Lady of the Cenacle
About:
The Cenacle is rooted in the faith and efforts of Saint Thérèse Couderc and Father Stephen Terme. Father Terme began his journey of faith in the wake of the French Revolution and its destructive impact upon the faith and the religious formation of the people. As a parish priest and missionary, he helped people rediscover their faith and love of Jesus.
On one of his missions, he met a young woman who told him of her desire to enter religious life. She was Marie Victoire Couderc, who would become Mother Thérèse Couderc. Together they opened a hostel for women pilgrims visiting the shrine of St. John Francis Regis, SJ, in the small French village of Lalouvesc in 1826. With the help of God, providing safe accommodations for pilgrims and providing retreats in those accommodations, especially for women, lead to the foundation of dozens of Cenacle Retreat Houses around the world.
Mother Thérèse’s selfless love and desire to make Jesus known and loved led her to surrender herself to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Her life and faith became the foundation for the Congregation of Our Lady of the Retreat in the Cenacle, the Cenacle Sisters. She was declared a saint by the Church on May 10, 1970 and her feast is celebrated on September 26th.
Our mission, in accord with the mission of the universal church, is directed toward awakening and deepening faith with and for the people of our times. We engage in this mission through our life, which is prayer, community, and ministry. Our ministry is that of retreats, spiritual direction, adult faith formation and contemplative presence.
