A Christian Conference and Retreat Centre in Salford, owned and run by the Faithful Companions of Jesus (FCJ).
Over more than twenty years the sisters offered Katherine House as a resource to people of all faiths and none, through regular meetings, study groups and shared seasonal events.
The activities below formed the regular programme at Katherine House: friendly groups meeting for film, scripture, conversation and creative work. For the current position of the centre, please read the home page, or get in touch with the sisters.
Katherine House in Salford is a Christian conference and retreat centre owned and run by the Faithful Companions of Jesus, a Catholic religious congregation with roots in the Church of England tradition and a continuing international life. For more than twenty years the sisters opened the house as a resource for people of all faiths and none, offering a warm and peaceful setting where visitors could gather, reflect and share time together in prayer and conversation.
The regular programme at Katherine House was built around simple, welcoming gatherings. Film club evenings brought people together to watch and discuss a film, while bible study groups provided space for reading, reflection and discernment of the word. Other meetings centred on conversation, creative work and shared seasonal events, forming a rhythm of fellowship that many regulars came to value and remember fondly as a place of calm, prayer and hope.
Living and working in community at the centre meant learning alongside one another, serving the needs of guests and of the wider neighbourhood, and finding space for spiritual life in the middle of busy and sometimes difficult times. Guests often spoke of the peace, warmth and friendship they found here, and of the sense of being accepted and welcomed simply as they were, whatever their background or outlook.
Discernment has always been at the heart of the house's story. The sisters reflected carefully on their ministry, on the changing circumstances of the centre and on the reasons for the chapter of ceasing, weighing what could be offered and how the community's life might continue in new ways. Such decisions, though hard, were taken with prayer, with the involvement of the wider FCJ community, and with attention to the people who had been served over the years.
Some of the sisters moved on to new ministries, returning to their roots or taking up study and training, while others continued the work elsewhere. For those leaving, the horizons beckoned and the next step felt both exciting and hard, and the farewell was marked with affection for the house, its people and its years of shared life. What remains is a legacy of hospitality, prayer and faithful companionship for anyone seeking a quiet place of spiritual reorientation.
Third Tuesdays, 7:00–9:30pm · Third Thursday afternoons, 1:30–4:00pm
Each month a film was shown in two slots — one for those who prefer the afternoon and another for those who come after work. Both groups were friendly, and discussion groups followed the screenings. More detail on the Film Club page.
Wednesday afternoons or Thursday evenings
A series exploring Bible characters and the way God speaks, open to anyone who wished to join in. See the Bible Study page for the pattern of the sessions.
Held throughout the year
Small groups meeting for conversation and shared reflection, in the spirit of the centre’s welcome to people of all faiths and none.
Held throughout the year
Readers meeting to discuss books chosen together, combining conversation, friendship and quiet time in the house.
Lent
A season of teaching and prayer offered each Lent, alongside a Lent Retreat for those able to spend a longer period at the house.
Held throughout the year
A day for creative work in the bright rooms and garden of the centre, open to participants of all levels.
Held for clergy
A day set aside for clergy, offering space for fellowship, study and rest at Katherine House.
Advent
An Advent series drawing on the mystery of the season, with reflection and gathering over the weeks of Advent.
Annual memorial services
Memorial services were held at the centre for Holocaust commemoration, part of the wider commitment to remembrance and reconciliation.
A chapel within the house, alongside a coffee area and a lawn garden for reflection between sessions.
Meeting and dining rooms where groups read, talk and share, with flip chart, data projector and slide projector available.
Group retreats could be organised at the centre, and it was suitable for training days and meetings.
Accommodation for individuals seeking a personal retreat was not provided, but group retreats could be organised, and the house was well suited to training days and meetings. Read more about retreats and groups, the facilities, or contact the centre directly.
Retreats ContactFor availability, rates and any questions about the rooms and facilities at Katherine House, please speak to the sisters directly.
