The ACTS retreat model came to birth from the Cursillo Movement through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, in the Archdiocese of San Antonio, Texas. ACTS began in 1987 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Selma, Texas, and was brought to St. Anne Parish in Beaumont in September 2001 by ACTS Missions.
A Chapter of ACTS Missions was formed in 2004 for the specific purpose of spreading the ACTS retreats to more parishes in the Diocese of Beaumont and was named the Southeast Texas Mission ACTS Chapter (SETMAC). SETMAC was dedicated to this purpose and to ensure that the integrity of the ACTS Retreat is maintained.
In 2015, SETMAC reorganized itself into the ACTS Missions Chapter of Beaumont (Beaumont ACTS Chapter) in order to bring itself inline with the global ACTS structure. It still has the same leadership and goal of spreading ACTS and ensuring the integrity of ACTS Retreats in the Diocese of Beaumont.
The ACTS retreats were designed to improve upon the Cursillo Movement and create a more relevant retreat model to benefit individual parishes. This was especially important following the changes brought to the Catholic Church after the Second Vatican Council. Through prayer and guidance of the Holy Spirit, the ACTS model came to life.
In the ten years after the first retreat in 1987, ACTS spread through the Archdiocese of San Antonio to over 15 parishes. Due to the growth of the movement, ACTS Missions was founded to maintain the integrity of the ACTS retreats and to spread the model across the world.
Today, ACTS is in at least 22 states in the U.S., 8 states in Mexico, as well as Canada, Honduras, South Africa and England. There are retreats for men, women, college students, and teenagers.