We invited readers, and they came!
A sellout crowd of more than 60 people experienced a retreat day together at the Marianist Retreat Center in Eureka, Missouri, just outside St. Louis, on Saturday, March 29, 2025.
Living Faith‘s editorial director Pat Gohn from Boston joined the local Fenton-based editorial team of Kasey Nugent and Ben Kupiszewski to welcome retreatants from around St. Louis and beyond. Two-thirds of the participants gathered from Missouri, and another third came from states around the country, including Arkansas, Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Ohio, Oregon and Virginia.
This Lenten retreat was the crowning event for Living Faith‘s 40th anniversary year,and it focused on the goodness and mercy of God.
Team members for the retreat included well-known writers of Living Faith: Steve Givens, Deborah Meister and Melanie Rigney.
After their arrivals, retreatants were invited to morning Mass in the chapel with Fr. Joe Kempf, pastor of Sacred Heart parish in Eureka. Writer Deborah Meister served in the music ministry as cantor for the hymns, and writer Melanie Rigney served as lector.
Fr. Joe is also an author at Living Faith Kids, and has a recent release, Are You Good Enough Yet? from Twenty-Third Publications. He’s a preacher to the children of God from ages 2 to 102, and at the end of the Mass, he introduced his special guest Big Al, who spread joy in his own unique way.
Mass was followed by a featured presentation by Steve Givens, longtime Living Faith writer and a spiritual director in the Archdiocese of St. Louis. His presentation, “Remembering Our Lives of Faith and Goodness,” included time for silence, reflection and small group discussions.
Steve Givens’ blog also recounts some this first talk, here.
A lively lunch time break allowed for more fellowship between the retreat-goers, as well as more time for personal prayer and reflection. And many enjoyed sampling the offerings of the book table that included Melanie Rigney’s Bible-based titles Unforgettable Women of the Gospels and Woman of Worth.
The afternoon schedule had three sessions. Steve Givens’ second talk focused on Jesus’ parable about the Prodigal Son and the Loving Father.
A Scriptural Stations of the Cross followed, composed by Givens and offering Ignatian-style prayer from his booklet From Gethsemane to Golgotha. It was prayed aloud by retreat team members and all participants.
At the end of the afternoon, Pat Gohn led a panel discussion with the Living Faith writers, taking questions submitted by those in attendance. Afterwards, Gohn offered a closing prayer.
Retreatants returned home with goodie bags filled with Bayard’s inspirational periodicals, booklets, prayer journals, Living Faith coffee mugs and more—and hopefully, hearts filled with blessings and happy memories.
Thanks to all who joined us—and thanks to all who so faithfully read and share Living Faith!
