Experience the Black Madonna
An intimate retreat with Christena Cleveland
October 3-5 | St. Paul, MN
2025 theme: Parented by the Black Madonna
Bring your Inner Child to the Black Madonna – and embrace your sacred birthright as Cherished, Protected, Guided, and Empowered.
Early Bird rates available until May 31!
Discover the Black Madonna as the Loving Parent beyond your wildest imagination.
What if your inner child snuggled up on the Black Madonna’s lap? What would your inner child say to Her?
Join Christena Cleveland, social psychologist and author of God Is a Black Woman, on the sacred grounds of the U.S. shrine of the ancient Black Madonna of Le Puy.
Through teaching, movement, and creativity, we will gather in circle to experience the Black Madonna as the Cosmic Parent who can heal our deepest childhood wounds and empower us to live our best life today.
The Black Madonna wants to Mother the hell out of you.
Through dynamic teaching, creative arts, embodiment practices, and a profound circle of connection, you’ll:
Embrace your Inner Child and listen to their stories, joys, jokes, fears, needs, anger, and questions more fully than you ever have.
Release shame and alchemize fear as you give voice to your Inner Child in a circle of radical softness and deep trust
Unearth your sacred history as you uncover the Black Madonna’s intervention in your life, even before you knew to look for Her.
Dispel patriarchal notions that the Divine is absent and disinterested when we are in distress.
Experience the Black Madonna as your Cosmic Mother who heals your deepest parent/caregiver wounds.
Name and claim your cosmic DNA as the Black Madonna affirms your birthright identity as Cherished, Protected, Guided, and Empowered.
Come face-to-face with the Black Madonna at the shrine and U.S. home of the ancient Black Virgin of Le Puy, France
Image: Black Madonna by Mother Della Marie Doyle, T.O.R.
What our community is saying…
“What a sacred space! There are few spaces I've entered that have integrated so well social psychology with somatic and spiritual practices. Dr. Christena Cleveland has so much embodied and lived wisdom to share with us all. Especially for white folks, here is an incredible opportunity to learn in an environment that centers and honors Black femmes, and how liberating it is to feel how good that space is for white people too.”
What makes this retreat special?
“The Black Madonna is known for helping us die to our false selves – the counterfeit identities that are based on who our caregivers told/shaped us to be…She guides us to our true identity in Her always loving, always available, always present, and always empowering arms.” – Christena Cleveland
This intimate retreat is designed for both Black Madonna newbies and longtime devotees who wish to practically experience the unconditional embrace of the Cosmic Mother - anchored in the ancient spirituality of the Black Madonna, empowered by dynamic teaching and practices, and held by beloved community.
The Retreat Experience
Four power-packed teaching sessions to nurture your every day connection to the Black Madonna as your Loving Parent – guided by Dr. Christena Cleveland
Lasting community connections as you journey throughout the retreat in the same Sacred Circle racial affinity group of 4-5 people and profoundly share in each others’ experiences.
Three “play dates” with the Black Madonna during luscious movement sessions to unlock and reclaim your most authentic self – guided by DejaJoelle, the visionary behind Body Prayers Practice
An empowering and accessible art practice to create a sacred object to bring home that honors your inner child’s inherent sacredness - guided by artist Raphaella Brice
Sacred labyrinth practices among the four outdoor labyrinths at the retreat center to help you experience the Black Madonna even when you feel lost and alone
Soul-soaring time at the shrine and U.S. home of the ancient Black Virgin of Le Puy, France
A special gift to commemorate your transformative experience, handcrafted by Dr. Christena Cleveland
The Retreat Schedule
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3-6:30 pm — Welcome and registration
6:30 - 9:00 pm — Opening Gathering with embodiment and teaching
9 - 10:00 pm — Sacred Circles in racial affinity groups
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9 - 11 am - Morning Session with embodiment and teaching
11 - Noon — Sacred Circles in racial affinity groups
1 pm - 6 pm — sacred creativity practice in racial affinity groups / rest / free time
6:30 - 9 pm — Evening Session with labyrinth practice and teaching
9 - 10 pm - Sacred Circles in racial affinity groups
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9 am - 11 am - Closing Session with embodiment and teaching
11 am - Noon - Sacred Circles in racial affinity groups
Tuition & Registration
This tuition fee structure supports a sustainable work model based in principles of resource redistribution and financial accessibility; covering the curriculum development, preparation, communication, administration, and facilitation of sessions by three Black female/non-binary experts.
WHAT’S INCLUDED:
all retreat programming including four teaching sessions, a guided and accessible sacred creativity practice, all art supplies, three guided embodiment sessions, and intimate racial affinity group conversations
access to 110-acres of luscious retreat grounds, including four gorgeous labyrinths
water, coffee, and tea throughout the retreat
a commemorative gift handcrafted by Christena.
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED:
accommodations — However, the retreat center offers a limited number of lovely guest rooms starting at $40/night. See FAQs for more details.
food — There are a number of dining options within walking distance.
transportation to and from the retreat
Integrity Rate: This is the tuition rate for all white people. If you are BIPOC and you have the resources to pay this rate, then do the right thing and support this all-Black facilitation team :)
Integrity Rate
Integrity Early bird registration tuition (until May 31): $550
Integrity General registration tuition (until August 15): $650
Integrity Late registration tuition (until September 30): $750
BIPOC Rate: This is a scholarship offering for BIPOC community members made possible through our sister organization and philanthropic partner, Center for Justice and Renewal. This rate exists to help offset the oppressive effects of the white supremacist capitalist system within which we all operate. Thank you to those of you who have funded these scholarships!
BIPOC Rate
BIPOC Early bird registration tuition (until May 31): $450
BIPOC General registration tuition (until August 15): $550
BIPOC Late registration tuition (until September 30): $650
The Black Madonna’s forest is sacred no matter where we are on our journey through it. It doesn’t matter if we are taking our first shaky step into the forest. Our journey is sacred, and She offers us lavish gifts. It doesn’t matter if we are midjourney and are bravely choosing to take another step forward after just having taken two steps back. Our journey is sacred, and She offers us lavish gifts. It doesn’t matter if we have been steadily moving through the forest for a long time now. Our journey is sacred, and She offers us lavish gifts. — Christena Cleveland
Meet your hosts
Dr. Christena Cleveland is a social psychologist, public theologian, activist, and author of God Is a Black Woman which details her 400-mile walking pilgrimage across central France in search of ancient Black Madonna statues, and examines the relationship among race, gender, and cultural perceptions of the Divine.
A weaver at heart, Dr. Cleveland integrates psychology, theology, storytelling, and art to support people’s liberation and healing journeys.
DejaJoelle is a Black Centered - Healing Artist, Choreographer, Director, and Cultural Healing Curator. She believes Dance serves as our connection to ourselves, our communities, and our overall Divinity. DejaJoelle creates intentional spaces for Black community to discover their own practices toward Healing using Dance, Body Reclamation, and other Healing practices. As the world experiences collective hurt and grief, DejaJoelle trusts that our greatest act of REVOLUTION and REBELLION against hatred and corruption is Self-Love and Healing. Using the realms of RECLAIM, SURRENDER, and CONJURE she focuses her Art and energy on holding Healing spaces that re-introduce Black people to their Breath, Body, and Spirit.
Raph Draws is a Vermont-based digital illustrator and muralist who moved to Vermont in 2020. They interweave their love for global-culture, community, spiritual, and mystical concepts with their art pieces. They describe their style as “cultural-psychedelic” — where culture meets the surrealism of her inner and outer expression of the world. Drawing knowledge from their Haitian-Catholic background, their art celebrates the human consciousness shift that is currently happening in the world today. Their work is inspired by the global-cultural symbol of resilience & empowerment, "The Black Madonna," unscathed by the perils of powers & principalities of this Earth.
Our Retreat Space:
The U.S. Home of the Black Madonna of Le Puy
The Carondelet Center is hosted by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, who were founded in 1877 in Le Puy-en-Velay, France and are deeply devoted to the 3rd century Black Madonna of Le Puy.
A stately brick and stone Beaux Art landmark, Carondelet Center was built in 1912 by architect John W. Wheeler and nestled into a beautifully landscaped campus. The building originally served as the Novitiate for the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. It is adjacent to St. Catherine University, where guests can explore peaceful floral gardens and idyllic wooded grounds.
Centrally located in the Twin Cities, just minutes from both downtown St. Paul and downtown Minneapolis, the Carondelet Center is only five miles from Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) airport.
FAQs
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Retreat tuition is non-refundable and that all tuition fees go to ongoing liberation efforts, including offering lower costs for BIPOC participants. We encourage you to purchase travel insurance so that you are covered if you’re unable to attend due to circumstances beyond your control.
We strive to curate the safest experience for our community. Should we need to reschedule our retreat due to circumstances beyond our control, your payments will be applied to a future retreat, valid for up to one year.
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Carondelet Center offers a limited number of lovely guest rooms for only $50/night (single occupancy) and $40/night (double occupancy). As soon as you register for the Experience the Black Madonna retreat, you’ll receive an email with instructions on how to directly book a guest room with the Carondelet Center. These rooms are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Additionally, there are a number of hotels and home stay options nearby.
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There's a Caribou Coffee on the block as well as a casual Italian eatery/bakery called Due Focaccia. St. Catherine University is right next door and you can eat at any of the campus dining options. A couple of blocks away there is a legendary NYC-style deli called Cecil's. About a mile away at Highland Park there are lots of stores: Lunds & Byerly's (supermarket), Target, used bookstore, boutiques, tons of restaurants, hipster coffee shops, etc.
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Minneapolis-St. Paul airport (MSP) is only 5 miles from Carondelet, so you can easily take Uber/Lyft or a bus.
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Though all are truly welcome at the Experience the Black Madonna retreat, we intentionally center BIPOC people in general and Black women and Black non-binary people in particular. We do this to honor the Black Madonna’s Black body as well as to disrupt the white supremacist and patriarchal norms that rule many spiritual spaces.
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We encourage you to read God Is a Black Woman by Christena Cleveland prior to the retreat, so you can become acquainted with her Black feminist approach to the Black Madonna.