The Cenacle on the Lake has been a part of the fabric of life in New Orleans for over 65 years, and is regarded as holy ground by all those who have been coming here on retreat. It was built in 1958 by the Cenacle Sisters in order to provide a spiritual sanctuary for those who wanted to spend quiet time in prayer and deepen their relationship with God. In October of 2013, the Archdiocese of New Orleans purchased the property from the Cenacle Sisters and continues to build upon this same foundation today.

As a Catholic Retreat Center, our mission is to provide a welcoming place for all people to explore and deepen their relationships with God and draw closer to Him. We aim to offer a variety of programs and opportunities where everyone who visits can grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ in a comfortable and peaceful setting. We pray that all those who visit the Retreat Center might experience the nurturing, healing and transformative love of God and be renewed through the joy of the Gospel. 

As a ministry of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, we offer retreats for women and men, days of prayer, and other events. We are also expanding our ministry to include programs and opportunities for young adults and families. In addition, we host a variety of ministries, parishes and schools for their own days of retreat.

The word retreat means "to surrender" and "to step back from." While this may not be what first comes to mind when you think of an "active prayer life," taking the time to "retreat" from the demands and busyness of daily life is vital to the health of our souls. Scripture reminds us that God's voice is not often found in the loudest and most obvious ways, but in the still small voice and quietness within our hearts. The retreats we offer provide an atmostphere for you to set aside the cares of the world and breathe in deeply the love of God in order to nourish your soul and be better equipped to face the demands of everyday life with God. One retreat experience might be an (eternal) life-saving investment!