Advent Retreat 2026

What Can I Give Him?

An Advent Retreat on the Simplicity of Our Gifts

Sign up for the Full Retreat Today!

JOurney Through Advent and Christmas

What can I give Him, while living with Dementia?

Inspired by that stanza written by Christina G. Rossett in 1872, we enter into this Advent and Christmas season. “What can I give him, poor as I am? If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb; if I were a Wise Man, I would do my part; yet what I can I give him: give him my heart.”

Our hearts can feel unfit for celebration in the midsts of life with dementia. Unfit, to give our Lord. Our lives and hearts can already feel so empty. Our days, already too full. Yet, our Lord is not looking for your worldly gifts, He is not even looking for you to drop every responsibility for Him. He is looking for YOU. He longs for a relationship with you. He longs for your heart. This Advent, we will prepare our hearts for Christmas in little ways of love throughout each day. We will come together as a community of believers to prepare to share our hearts on Christmas Day, no matter what state they might be in, to see the face of Christ.

About the Event

About the Event
Pray, Connect, Reflect

Each year we host a self-paced Advent Retreat.  The retreat is done on your own time through a reflection book and retreat box sent to you the week of Thanksgiving, weekly emails, and a Memory Café (both in-person and through Zoom) on December 8th. 

The retreat is limited to 25 individuals/family units. Registration is OPEN!

This virtual retreat is open to all and designed for those living with dementia, care partners, and the faith community at large. Together we will take moments to pause, reflect, pray, and prepare for the coming of Christ. 

Order Full Retreat
Overview of the Retreat

Giving our Heart to the Christ Child.

  • Week 1 – Hope and Promise: Lessons from the Shepherd. What is the lamb in our lives that we can give. We may feel we are not presentable enough to visit our Lord. What from our lives can we bring to Jesus from the fruits of our life at this time?
  • Week 2 – Preparation: Lessons from the Wise Man. What is the Gold, Frankincense, or Myrrh in our life. We may feel poor. Poor in time, talent, treasure. Yet, we are in fact wealthy in something, let us discover what that wealth is that we might share with the Christ child.
  • Week 3 – Joy: Lessons from You! How is your heart this Advent season? Where can you magnify the joy and childlike wonder that is either front and center or hidden within your heart?
  • Week 4 – Love and Fulfillment: Lessons from the people you love and who love you? What does the people around you see in you that you might be hiding from our Lord? What do you look like in the eyes of Christ? How can you magnify your love for self, others, and our Lord this Advent?

Virtual Self-Paced Retreat

Accessing the Retreat

You will receive a Retreat Box in the mail the week of Thanksgiving with video content being delivered via your email inbox. There is no additional account that needs to be created, only access via a special link sent to you each day. You may follow along in real-time or at our own pace. You will have access to the retreat videos and recordings indefinitely.

Here to Guide Your Experience

Meet the Retreat Team

Retreat Lead

Kate Fassbender

–

Chaplain

Coming Soon

–

Contributing Artist

Coming Soon

–

SPIRITUAL Director

Coming Soon

–

Inside the Retreat Box

  • Reflection guide with a page for each day of the season.
  • Notebook and Pen of reflections
  • Access to our Spotify Playlist
  • Going on Retreat book
  • Access to PDF versions of all materials in box
  • Access to Podcast version of retreat videos
  • 1 Hem of Christ Mug (Additional for Purchase at a discount)
  • Prayer Card

Advent

Christmas

Lent

Easter

How it works

01

Order your Retreat Box by November 10th for delivery by the 1st Sunday of Advent.

02

Participate at your own pace moving through the retreat workbook and weekly emails.

03

Participate in virtual Memory Cafés, Spiritual Direction, and prayer partnership.

Ready to Enter into this Season?

Select a Retreat that Works FOr you

Simple Retreat

For Individuals

$25

  • Advent Retreat Book
  • Retreat Delivered Digitally via Email
Order your Retreat Box

Full Retreat

For Individuals

$55

  • Full Retreat from First Sunday through the Epiphany
  • Retreat Delivered Digitally via Email
  • Do alone or as a family
  • Retreat Box filled with all you need to enter into a retreat.
  • Spiritual Direction offered upon request.
Order your Retreat Box

In-Person Retreat

For Groups and Parishes

Contact for Price

  • Full Retreat from First Sunday through Epiphany
  • Option to order additional boxes at a discount (Best to keep it under 15 people)
  • Facilitators Guide and training for host
  • Hands on Support from Kate
  • For those in the Milwaukee Area, Kate can come in-person.
Host a Retreat

Our Sponsor

Thank you to the Estate of Emmie Lou Sternitzky for making this retreat a reality.

Interested in sponsoring our next retreat? Email outreach@hemofchrist.org to discuss the possibilities.

Emmie Sternitzky

Interested in Sponsoring a Retreatant?

The cost to put on a retreat of this nature takes a great deal of time and resources. We have worked to make sure the retreat is as low cost as possible, and yet, we understand it is still a big expense. If you are interested in sponsoring a retreatant or would like a grant to cover your cost, please reach out to us at outreach@hemofchrist.org

Let’s Go on Retreat

Join us as we journey towards Christmas.

Order Full Retreat HOst an in-person retreat