The Church of St. Elizabeth in Upper Manhattan is planning Spanish-language retreats the evening of Friday, March 13, and the next day, Saturday, March 14, both offering talks and worship music based on Lenten themes. 

Both gatherings will feature Nerys Paulino, a prominent Catholic lay speaker who will be visiting from the Dominican Republic. Paulino is from the Archdiocese of Santiago de los Caballeros. The planned theme is: “Decídete a Vivir este tiempo de gracia y conversión” (Decide to Live This Time of Grace and Conversion). 

The Blessed Sacrament 

There will be an Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, prayers for healing and liberation, and opportunities for confession. Both gatherings are called Retiro Cuaresmal (Lenten Retreat). 

The Friday evening session will start at 6:30 p.m. and end at 10 p.m. Admission is $10 per person including refreshments. The Saturday retreat is set to begin at noon and finish at 7 p.m. The admission fee is $20 including lunch. Organizers said the event site will be inside the parish’s Star Senior Center. The parish is located at 268 Wadsworth Ave., in the Washington Heights area of upper west Manhattan. 

“The upcoming Lenten Retreat at Saint Elizabeth is very important because Lent is a sacred time of conversion, reflection, and spiritual renewal. It gives us the opportunity to step away from our daily routine, listen more deeply to God’s voice, and prepare our hearts for Holy Week and Easter,” Krismely Garcia, a lead volunteer at St. Elizabeth, told The Good Newsroom. 

“For me personally, as a parishioner for many years at Saint Elizabeth, retreats like this have helped me recharge my spiritual battery with God. We truly need moments like this to continue growing in our faith, especially during these times when the world needs so much prayer and peace,” Garcia added. For more information, visit the Church of St. Elizabeth’s website. 

Other locations in the archdiocese 

The Hispanic Catholic Charismatic Center in the Bronx has scheduled a weekend Healing and Liberation Retreat for Friday, March 6, to Sunday, March 8, for adults 18-plus. The arrival window is 7-8 p.m. on Friday. The Spanish-language gathering will conclude with a 3 p.m. Mass on Sunday, inside the adjacent St. Anthony of Padua Church. Registration is $150, including meals. The center is located at 826 East 166th Street, the Bronx. For more information, the center’s phone number is: (718) 378-1734. The website is: Centro Catolico Carismatico, Bronx, NY.

The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe at St. Bernard in Lower Manhattan will host a Spanish-language Lenten retreat on Sunday, March 8, from 1:30 to 5 p.m. The theme will be The Third Fall of Jesus (Philippians 2:6-9). The event will include Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, talks, and worship music. The shrine is located at 328 West 14th Street. For more information, call the rectory, (212) 243-0265. The website is Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe at St. Bernard. 

The St. Frances Cabrini Shrine in Upper Manhattan has been hosting weekend Lenten prayer gatherings since February 22. The retreats are offered free in English, Spanish, and French Creole through March 22 (the Spanish-language event was held on Sunday, March 1). Among the themes: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me,” says the Lord (Matthew 16:24). The shrine is located at 701 Fort Washington Ave., Washington Heights area. For scheduled times and additional information, call the shrine: (212) 923-3536. Visit the shrine’s website here.