“Accustom yourself continually to make many acts of love, for they enkindle and melt the soul.”
-St. Teresa of Ávila
Our story
In February 2022, Rachael Turgeon, Grace Cleary, and Becca Thiry attended a retreat for mothers with young children in Lincoln Nebraska. It was a day focused on loving moms in the midst of a demanding stage of life and giving them the space and time to connect with Jesus and other women exhausted by raising little kids.
The day filled us with so much love that we knew we had to love the mothers in our community in the same way. The 4 hour car ride back was spent with excited planning to bring the retreat to the moms in Sioux Falls.
Two months later we hosted our first Mother’s Retreat in the music room of St Mary’s school and gave 23 moms time to drink hot coffee, talk with one another, and be with Jesus… without little ones demanding their attention.
Honestly, we think they were just happy to go to the bathroom without an audience.
Through the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit called for us to focus on mothers in this stage of life and has blessed us in glorious ways. The retreat for mother’s with young children grew from 23 women, to now 120 mothers with a waitlist.
When we left our own retreat 4 years ago, we just wanted to make moms feel seen and taken care of for a day. We are constantly in awe by how Jesus has used us to take care of these women in such an intimate and intentional way.
Our Team
Rachael Turgeon
Holy Instigator & Leader of Motherly GraceRachael is free-spirited, loves nature, and tends both her children and her garden with the same gentle devotion. She is raising four children with tenderness and grace. Her children have the same kind of freedom in life that she has, which leads to tiny Turgeon shoes being left around town…we do get a plenary indulgence for finding them.
Grace Cleary
Spreadsheet Keeper & Guardian of the Purse
Grace lights up at the chance to make a spreadsheet and somehow makes budgeting feel like a party. She’s a working mom of three, has impeccable comedic timing, and keeps everyone laughing along the way. While she runs an impressively organized retreat, her home life is a bit more… relaxed. She is currently entering year two of potty training her four-year-old—confident that one day, eventually, it will all come together.
Intercessory Prayer Warrior & Official Voice of the RetreatBecca Thiry
Becca is beauty and warmth wrapped in fierce joy. She is inviting, encouraging, and quite possibly the greatest hype woman to ever live. She works full time while raising four little ladies and does it all wearing pink with unapologetic conviction. She loves Jesus with bold passion, and her daughters have inherited her incredible strength—which makes for a hysterical household of four girls under six, each with a willpower worthy of David himself…. we pray for her daily in anticipation for when they enter their teenage years.
Colleen Erwin
Nourishment Minister & Head of Holy HospitalityColleen is steady, grounded, and an extraordinary listener. She leans into the needs of those around her and serves as a quiet rock for the people in her life. She has three young children and has passed on the serenity God has gifted her to her family. Her son’s deep love for Pokémon has turned Colleen into an accidental master trainer, fully committed to “catching them all.” We are all rooting for her to finally get that Charizard… for her son, of course.
Rachael Kramer
Keeper of the Keys & Sacramental Logistics LeaderRachael is a gifted musician and baker whose talent for melody has beautifully shaped our community. Most recently, she served as choir director for Christmas at the Cathedral, a role she filled with excellence and reverence. She has a deep love for the traditions of the Church, and her four children follow her lead in wholehearted love for Jesus. She runs a tight ship at home, and her hair is somehow flawless at all times—leading many of us to believe she sleeps standing up to preserve her perfect curls.
Contact Us
Reach out to us at mothersretreatsf@gmail.com with any questions you have.
