The Institute for Research Communication and Development

Copper Ridge Conference Centre

IRCD owns the Copper Ridge Conference Centre (CRCC), which will serve as a venue for retreats, seminars and workshops. The new building covers 36,000 square feet on a 40 acres property, surrounded by the rustic beauty of the Britannia range and Howe Sound. In addition, the conference centre will provide education, jobs and professional training.

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Cedarcrest

IRCD owns the Cedarcrest Conference Centre in Belfountain north of Toronto. It provides a venue for a wide variety of events including spiritual retreats; leadership seminars; workshops on family issues; professional development workshops; and theology and philosophy courses. This facility has been used by thousands of people; women, men, students and priests who have attended these activities to help deepen their Catholic faith and be encouraged to influence society by imbuing their work with a real spirit of service.

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The Institute for Research Communication and Development (IRCD)

IRCD is a registered charity (140903139RR0001) incorporated in 1985. It seeks to contribute to the renewal and transformation of Canadian society by organizing courses, conferences, programs, seminars and other activities aimed at promoting the cultural, spiritual and professional formation of both students and adults at two conference centres it runs. These are Cedarcrest northwest of Toronto, and Copper Ridge Conference Centre, to the north of Vancouver.

In sum, the Conference Centres serve as an incubator that provides participants with the preparation and help they need to become a force for positive social change, each one in his own professional, family and social milieu.

IRCD's activities include:

• Spiritual retreats (average duration 3 days), offers daily Mass, opportunities for personal prayer, reflection and talks on central themes of living a Christian life today. The retreats aim at helping participants build the strength needed to make one’s faith the foundation of daily activity.
• Leadership seminars (average duration 3 days) for students, aim at helping participants integrate excellent work skills with intellectual and character traits imbued with a spirit of service.
• Workshops on family issues (average duration 5 days) help parents understand the importance of family life and values and of raising their children to be mature and morally upright members of society.
• Professional development conferences (average duration 5 days) analyze ethical issues linked to different professions in light of Christian moral teaching.
• Philosophy and Theology courses (1–3 weeks) offer the participants the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the key ideas that undergird the main Judeo-Christian beliefs.

All the activities described above combine periods of group activities along with moments of personal study, reflection or sports.

The spiritual and doctrinal activities listed above are entrusted to the Opus Dei Prelature, an institution of the Catholic Church that aims to foster the quest for spiritual growth in the midst of daily life.