A day of quiet prayer, scriptural meditation, and communal rest as we silence the noise of the world to hear the voice of our shepherd.About this Event
Jesus recognized that even the most faithful disciples reach their limit. Rest is not a luxury—it is a command and a vital act of faith. This retreat is designed to help you downshift from constant activity and find true restoration for your body, mind, and soul.
Taking place in the cool hills of Kalihi Valley where the beauty of nature abounds, retreatants will be offered a space for prayer, reflection, and connection with the teachings of the Catholic faith in a loving Christian community. The theme of this one-day retreat is “Come Aside and Rest Awhile.”
Located deep in the valley of the Koolau mountain range, Basic Christian Community of Hawaii (BCCH) offers a one-day retreat for men and women led by spiritual directors, the Very Reverend Msgr. Gary Secor of the Diocese of Honolulu, and Sr. Meristella Umdor, a Missionary Sister of Mary Help of Christians, with guest spiritual presenter, Fr. Kurt Meyer, Pastor of Newman Center/Holy Spirit Parish. Retreatants come to enjoy the natural beauty of the peaceful location, and the freedom from modern distractions.
Since 1985, BCCH has welcomed guests to experience true Christian community, found in song, prayer, witness talks, educational and reflective experiences, and small faith-sharing groups. This retreat is ideal for anyone seeking to find peace this year in expectant faith for a true relationship with our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ.
Basic Christian Community of Hawaii, Annual Retreat 2026
Information, Instructions, and Procedures
The BCCH Retreat will be held on Saturday, February 7, 2026 at St. Anthony Retreat Center located at 3351 Kalihi Street, Honolulu.
8:30 a.m. Reception, registration and continental breakfast
9 a.m. Retreat formally begins in the Sister Mary Gertrude Hall
12 p.m. Mass
1 p.m. Lunch (included with your free registration)
3 p.m. Retreat ends
Given confirmation of your registration, please arrive between 8:30 -9:00 a.m. to check in. At the entrance, drive along the main driveway, and turn into the first parking lot on your left. A team leader will escort you to the check-in station.
There is no fee to attend the event, but registration is required.
For questions and other information, you may contact the retreat directors at [email protected].
Basic Christian Community of Hawaii is a lay movement of the Roman Catholic Church, operating with full Diocesan approval. Our spiritual guides and advisors are the Very Reverend Msgr. Gary Secor and Sr. Meristella Umdor, Missionary Sister of Mary Help of Christians. It is designed to bring together small groups of people to support one another (community), to study and know Jesus’ Word (the message), and to live more fully the life of a believer (the mission).
When you stop and think about it, community has always been an essential part of the Christian life, right from those wondrous days recounted in the New Testament. Just as fish swim together in schools for protection against their predators, we too need the strength of one another to shield us from worldly temptation and to help us continue on our own spiritual journeys.
The Basic Christian Community of Hawaii (BCCH) was organized in 1985 and it has been growing ever since. It is modeled after a success-proven format that is some 2000 years old. After Jesus’ death and resurrection, the disciples were the original basic Christian community. After they were banned from using the temples for their meeting place, they met in homes to continue the spreading of His Word. This format must have worked, because those original twelve disciples have now grown to some two billion Christians in the world. Now, that’s a success story!
BCCH is nothing more than an attempt to recreate the closeness of such small communities, to recapture some of the fire of the apostles, and to spread the Good News, both through personal witnessing and lifestyle changes. Community is very important to our relationships, too. We cannot separate how we relate to God from how we relate to one another, because the very things that keep us from forming closer relationships with our neighbors also separate us from God. The goal of Basic Christian Community of Hawaii is for us all to develop deeper ties with both the Living God and His people.
BCCH holds six retreats each year and we welcome anyone who wants to experience God’s love in a more powerful way. The presence of His Spirit is truly felt, and you can honestly see Him in the face of others, so we encourage new members to use these weekends as both an introduction and a jump-start to their own BCCH experience. Although most new BCCH members attend one of our retreats first, our weekly small groups are open to all who wish to experience their faith more fully. Our weekly meetings then provide a continuation of the brotherhood experienced at the weekend as we give praise and thanks to God, share what He has done in our lives, and study His Word.
Event Venue
St. Anthony Retreat Center, 3351 Kalihi Street, Honolulu, United States
USD 0.00
