About us

TRUE Presence Retreat Program

History and Development

The origins of the TRUE Presence Retreat are rooted in a broader movement of parish renewal that began in the Diocese of Corpus Christi in 2008 with the introduction of the ACTS retreat. These retreats contributed significantly to a revival of parish engagement, lay leadership, and renewal of sacramental participation. Many current TRUE Presence team members participated actively as retreatants and leaders over several years. While ACTS retreats proved spiritually fruitful and pastorally effective, sustained involvement gradually revealed a notable gap: the absence of substantial catechesis, particularly regarding the central mystery of Catholic faith—the Real and Substantial Presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist.

At the same time, national surveys began to document a troubling decline in Eucharistic belief among practicing Catholics, with studies indicating that nearly 70 percent understood the Eucharist as symbolic or metaphorical rather than believing that Christ was truly and substantially present – body, blood, soul, and divinity – in the Eucharist. This convergence of pastoral experience and empirical data prompted serious reflection among retreat leaders. In response, catechetical elements—especially Eucharistic teaching—began to be incorporated into retreats in various parishes across the Diocese. Over time, however, it became clear that this emphasis was not merely an enhancement of existing retreat models, but a distinct and essential focus that required its own dedicated structure, content, and spiritual rhythm.

In 2013, under the guidance of several pastors and experienced Catholic catechists, the foundational catechetical “lessons” that would become the core of the TRUE Presence Retreat were developed. From its inception, the retreat operated only at the invitation of pastors and always under their direct pastoral oversight. During this formative period, the retreat was presented under several titles—The Way, Take and Eat, Real Presence, True, among others—as pastors offered input shaped by the particular needs of their parish communities. Gradually, the title TRUE Presence emerged as the consistent and recognizable name. While certain retreat elements common to other Catholic retreats remained, the primary focus of the weekend became uniquely Eucharistic, with content and structure intentionally developed without direct precedent from existing retreat models.

By 2015, as the TRUE Presence Retreat was being adopted by multiple parishes within the Diocese of Corpus Christi, diocesan staff requested an opportunity to review the retreat materials. These materials were submitted and reviewed, and the feedback received indicated that no noticeable doctrinal errors were present. No formal approval or disapproval was issued, nor were limitations placed on the continued parish-based offering of the retreat. This period reinforced the importance of ongoing pastoral accountability and doctrinal fidelity as the retreat continued to develop organically at the parish level.

In 2018, several individuals from Louisiana attended TRUE Presence Retreats in Corpus Christi. Deeply moved by the Eucharistic focus of the weekend, they petitioned their home pastors to request the retreat for their own parishes. This marked the first clear expression of interest beyond the Diocese of Corpus Christi and initiated conversations about the careful and prudent sharing of the retreat across diocesan boundaries, always subject to episcopal approval.

In the past decade, men and women True Presence retreats have been lived by thousands of individuals in dozens of parishes. Most recently, in 2025, requests were received from Bishop Daniel Flores of the Diocese of Brownsville and Bishop Brendan Cahill of the Diocese of Victoria, each expressing interest in learning more about the TRUE Presence Retreat and the possibility of introducing it within their dioceses. With the permission of the Bishop of Corpus Christi, members of the TRUE Presence core team traveled to San Juan and Victoria, Texas to meet with each bishop personally. In both cases, the bishops expressed strong interest in the retreat’s Eucharistic focus and its potential pastoral value within their diocesan contexts.

As of December 2025, TRUE Presence Retreat, Inc. has been formally established as a Texas nonprofit organization recognized under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The organization is actively working with the Chancery of the Diocese of Corpus Christi with the expressed goal of becoming a recognized Lay Apostolate of the Bishop of Corpus Christi, ensuring that its continued growth and ministry remain firmly rooted in ecclesial obedience, doctrinal fidelity, and service to pastors and parishes.