The Cenacle was the upper room where Jesus gathered with his disciples, celebrated the Last Supper before he gave Himself in sacrifice on the cross. He shared His sacrificial love with His brothers, the apostles and showed this by washing their feet. He gave us the great commandment "Love one another as I have loved you". The first Cenacle was a sharing of fraternal charity and love. The Cenacle was also the place where the apostles gathered with Our Lady after Our Lord's Passion, Death and Resurrection to pray that the Holy Spirit would come and make them into new people. That is why the Holy Spirit as a dove is the motif for the Cenacolo Community.
      The Cenacolo Community was founded in July 1983 by an Italian nun, Sister Elvira Petrozzi who wanted to give her life to God through helping those who have suffered from addictions and also other young people who have become disillusioned or dissatisfied with their lives. The Cenacolo today has about 60 houses spread throughout Italy and around the world. The ‘parent’ house is in Saluzzo in Northern Italy. There are houses are in France, Austria, Croatia, Bosnia Herzegovina (Medjugorje), USA, , Ireland (Knock), Poland, the UK, etc., and several Mission Houses in Mexico and South America. There are nearly 2000 persons in Community. There are separate houses for men and women with some family houses for those community members who wish to have their children with them.
     There is no charge for living in community. There are no doctors, psychiatrists or counsellors in community. New entrants say the only former addicts can really know and understand how they feel. The leaders of each house have had at least two years of experience in a Cenacolo Community, usually much more. There is a wonderful spirit of love, friendship and joy in the communities. Each day consists of prayer, hard work and companionship. A new entrant to a Cenacolo is given a "guardian angel", someone who is successfully rebuilding his life through many months in Community. The guardian angel guides, encourages and supports the new arrival throughout their early difficulties, staying up all night with them if necessary.
      The day begins at 6am. At 6.30am everyone meets in the chapel to say their morning prayers, and to share any problems they may have. Breakfast is from 7.30 to 8 am and work begins at 8.30am. There is a five-minute break mid morning. Lunch is at 12 noon, followed by half an hour free time. Work continues with a five-minute break in the afternoon. Work ends at 6pm sometimes a little later in the summer months. After supper, there is about an hour's free time. Bedtime is at 9pm or 10pm at the latest.
      Some of the recovered addicts voluntarily get up at 2am or 3am to spend time in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. Between all the communities around the world there is ‘Perpetual Adoration’. Sundays and feast days are days of celebration and relaxation when football, table tennis and other games, etc are played.
  Each house grows their own vegetables and, depending on the particular location may keep animals - cows, pigs, goats, chickens etc.  There are no radios, newspapers, cigarettes, alcohol or drugs of any kind. They have no access to television programmes but they may have a TV and Video on which to watch videos of football matches. The communities make their own entertainment, music, play guitars, play football, etc. The work consists of gardening, woodwork, metalwork, looking after animals, cooking, painting icons, cleaning, laundry etc. The young people work in pairs and usually spend 3 months at each occupation. They learn the basics of carpentry, plumbing, building, etc. There is no time limit in community. Sister Elvira calls it a "School of Life "and recommends 2 to 3 years stay though there is no fixed time. There are no barriers as to nationality or religious belief (or lack of religious belief!). Everyone learns Italian which is the common language throughout Cenacolo Communities.
      Sister Elvira is delighted when a ‘Friend of Community’ enters a Cenacolo to experience life in the community in order to understand the life style of those rebuilding their lives.

This is a Registered Charity, no.1089689, which was set up initially to establish a Cenacolo Community in the UK, but now, relying entirely on ‘God’s Providence’, provides for all the needs of the Cenacolo in Kendal. It also aims to help set up further communities in the future.
      Through the ‘Friends’, Support meetings are held at several locations around the UK.  These start with up to one hour of prayers which is followed by a meeting for addicts and/or their family members. Addicts are encouraged to consider entry into a Cenacolo, where they can rebuild their lives away in a totally new environment and recover from their addiction. Addicts who are serious about changing their lives are helped to obtain a place in a Cenacolo Community.
     The main weekly meeting is in Kendal where addicts meet ‘lads’ from the UK Cenacolo who really understand their difficulties. This meeting is held at Holy Trinity & St. George RC Parish church on Thursday evenings, prayers at 6:30 pm, then  meet with addicts and families at 7:30 pm.
     All UK lads offered places in Cenacolo spend a few days in Kendal before their final placing is arranged, either in the Kendal Cenacolo or another community abroad. Ladies who make the commitment to enter are helped directly into a Cenacolo abroad. The other main support group meetings are held in Liverpool, London, Glasgow and Birmingham. Supporting prayer meetings are held in Bradford, Leicester and North Wales, and a growing number of other locations around the UK. Addicts who may arrive at a prayer meeting are immediately helped and encouraged, then guided towards the nearest main support group or the main meeting at Kendal

It was through the support and generosity of Bishop Patrick O’Donoghue, who first visited a Cenacolo Community in Ireland, that a lease of a former Presbytery and Chapel at Dodding Green, near Kendal in Cumbria resulted in us opening ‘Cenacolo Community, Our Lady, Queen of Martyrs’ in March 2005. Although still owned by the Stephenson Trust, their trustees consider a Cenacolo Community at Dodding Green to be totally in accord with the spirit of the original Trust Deeds, prepared in the early eighteenth century, when the building was dedicated to helping the poorest in society, both spiritually and materially. In today’s society our lost youth are our poorest people.

In January 2009, Bishop Patrick and Fr. Chris. Loughran, the Cenacolo Chaplin visited 'Mother Elvira in Italy. On 1st May 2009 Bishop Michael Campbell, took over the Lancaster Diocese as Bishop Patrick retired on 30 April 2009and is now a fervent supporter of the Community.  
 

As with all Cenacolo Communities, the Cenacolo at Dodding Green is entirely dependent on ‘God’s Providence’ for all its needs, relying totally on the generosity of its supporters.