About Us
A rural oasis on the edge of Sydney
The Discalced Carmelite Friars moved to Varroville in 1965 to establish a novitiate for trainee priests, to get them in touch with the land. At that time, Varroville was very much in the country. Since then, the 300 acres has been surrounded by suburbs – a rural oasis on the edge of Sydney.
The Friars used the retreat centre as a place of residence and a retreat centre until 2012, when it was completely renovated and refurbished. The Friars also built their own priory on site, which they remain in to this day.
In 2019, the Carmelite Friars entered into a unique collaboration with YMT Australia who now proudly manage and operate the Retreat Centre.
Our Mission and Values
Mt Carmel Retreat Centre is a Christian centre at heart, with a focus on providing our guests with opportunities to encounter Christ. As a retreat centre, we are dedicated to providing the facilities and the space to create the ideal environment for you and your group. Our aim is to ensure that every aspect of our service enables you to get the most out of your time here. We are committed to establishing great relationships by consistently acting with integrity, delivering a professional service and ensuring a meaningful conference experience.
Our Staff would like to welcome you to Mt Carmel Retreat Centre
Steve Toohey
Centre Director
Steve serves as National Director for Youth Mission Team (YMT) Australia, a role he has undertaken for more than 25 years. As part of his leadership role with YMT, in 2004 Steve developed and operated The Venue Conference Centre in Wollongong until its closure in 2019. Steve now draws on that experience as Director of the Mt Carmel Retreat Centre and is dedicated to making the Retreat Centre an outstanding conference facility for all groups and individuals, whatever their background or conference needs.
John Ransom
Centre Manager
John Ransom has been managing Mt Carmel Retreat Centre since 2013. Prior to moving up to Varroville to manage the Centre, John and his family lived in Bega on the NSW South Coast where he worked as a primary school teacher for 10 years. He has also been involved in the former St Joseph’s House of Prayer in Goulburn. John lives onsite at Mt Carmel with his wife and two children. When he’s not managing the Centre, John enjoys spending time with his wife and children, playing the piano accordion and cheering on the Sydney Swans with his daughter, Emma.
Julia Nigem
Catering Coordinator
Julia Nigem has been working in the kitchen at Mt Carmel since 2013. Over that time she has risen to the role of our Catering Coordinator. Julia lives in Ingleburn with her husband and three children. Outside of work she enjoys watching movies, going for drives and having coffee in cafes with her husband.
Lolita Waterstone
Housekeeping Coordinator
Lolita has worked at Mount Carmel Retreat Centre for the last 9 years, taking care of the guests’ accommodation needs during their stay. Lolita gained experience in the Hospitality Industry working in a very similar role to the one at Mount Carmel, at the Country Women Association (CWA) House in West Perth. She lives in Ingleburn and enjoys spending any spare time with her family.
Sr Serafina Castro
Carmelite Retreat Coordinator
Sr Serafina Castro is a Carmelite Sister. She made her religious profession in 2000 and has been working as an educator since then in Thailand and Australia. She joined the Mt Carmel Retreat Centre team in August 2019, and attends to the spiritual, sacramental and pastoral needs of our retreatants. Sr Serafina is originally from the Philippines and has four siblings. She enjoys outdoor activities and parlour games, as well as travelling and seeing new and beautiful places.
About Youth Mission Team Australia (YMT)
YMT provides young people with a dynamic and relevant encounter with the Gospel, empowering them to make positive life choices.
YMT Australia is a national, Catholic youth organisation that has been operating throughout Australia for almost 35 years. YMT currently has teams based in Sydney, Perth and Melbourne ministering to approximately 18,000 students every year. Each team is comprised of young men and women who defer career or tertiary studies for 12 months to volunteer full-time.
The primary focus of YMT’s ministry is facilitating retreat and reflection day programs in high schools. YMT also run a range of follow up opportunities including youth groups, school holiday camps, conference days and seminars.
YMT operated The Venue Conference Centre in Bellambi for 15 years, from 2005 – 2019. Over this time The Venue hosted hundreds of school, church and community groups, building ongoing relationships with many that we hope will continue into this new venture at Mt Carmel.