Before You Do Anything Else: Reclaiming Prayer as Relationship 
May 21, 2026

A retreat day for catechetical leaders whose prayer lives have quietly become another place of pressure rather than rest. This day creates space to name the hidden lies we carry about prayer – what it should look like, how it should feel, and how easily our work for the Church can replace time with the Lord. 

Through reflection, Scripture, silence, and sacramental prayer, participants are invited to encounter prayer again as honest relationship rather than performance or obligation. This is not a retreat about learning new methods or fixing spiritual habits, but about letting Jesus meet us where we actually are and gently restore prayer to its rightful place at the heart of our lives.

Mareda is an independent association of catechetical leaders in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.

Additional resources and downloadable resources & reflections to help you unpack the retreat's theme and topic will be found below the day after the retreat.