This past weekend, Sid and I found ourselves at Immaculate Heart Retreat Center serving as a presenting couple at an Engaged Encounter retreat. It marked the sixth time that we have presided over such a retreat in the past few years.

The couples we ministered to at the Engaged Encounter retreat this past weekend hold their completion certificates.

It also marked the third that time we presented with Ric and Cindy Gaunt—the other presenting couple and our good friends.

We presented with Ric and Cindy Gaunt for the third time at an Engaged Encounter retreat. This was us at the 2026 Engaged Encounter National Convention last month in Atlanta.

But while the Gaunts and Resers might be veterans when it comes to Engaged Encounter retreats, a special person made his EE debut this past weekend. Joining the four of us as the final piece of our presenting team, Fr. Kevin Oiland served as the retreat priest.

Fr. Kevin Oiland joined us and Ric & Cindy Gaunt at Immaculate Heart Retreat Center for an Engaged Encounter retreat.

Fr. Kevin joined our Engaged Encounter community this summer as our chaplain after Fr. Jeff Lewis was assigned as pastor of two parishes in Walla Walla. Although it was sad to lose Fr. Jeff, his self-appointed replacement made me happy—Fr. Kevin is a good friend of the Reser family.

A photo of my family with Fr. Kevin Oiland at a going-away party our young adult group hosted for him back in 2024. He would serve in Walla Walla for one year and then return to Spokane to become the pastor at St. Peter on the South Hill.

So this past weekend was definitely a treat for us. Fr. Kevin was the fourth priest that Sid and I have served with on a retreat and each one always brings something different to the table. In Fr. Kevin’s true nature, he brought his humble and down-to-earth demeanor mixed with a dry sense of humor and the ability to infuse any discussion with applicable quotes and bible verses.

Fr. Kevin Oiland makes a point during this past weekend’s Engaged Encounter retreat at Immaculate Heart Retreat Center. His EE retreat debut was a success.

The 10 engaged couples who signed up for the retreat loved him. From his presentation talks to the way he presided over mass in such a holy way to the personal approach he carried on conversations with the retreatants, he was a hit!

Fr. Kevin Oiland poses with all the engaged couples who went on the September 2026 Spokane Engaged Encounter retreat.

I could pull so many nuggets from the guidance that Fr. Kevin provided over the weekend but I will keep it short with one universal tip he gave…

A Catholic is called to nourish his/her soul by doing a few things consistently: At the minimum, as Fr. Kevin advised, we should partake in daily prayer, receive weekly Eucharist, and go to monthly confession.

He also said that we can nourish and re-fuel our marriages according to a similar cadence. Saying “I love you,” giving kisses, going on date nights, and taking an occasional couple vacation are all things that need to be consistently worked into a marriage.

Sid, Ric Gaunt, Cindy Gaunt, and Fr. Kevin Oiland pose for a photo in-between presentations at the Sept. 2026 Spokane Engaged Encounter retreat hosted at the Immaculate Heart Retreat Center.

So perhaps I will suggest this: mentally say “I do” to your spouse when you get up each day, give a kiss before leaving the house each morning, say “I love you” each night, go on a date night each month, and try to sneak away for a weekend vacation each year.

At every Engaged Encounter retreat, we always show the original Gary Chapman “Five Love Languages” lecture. Even though it is presented in a secular way, what he proposes is applicable to any marriage that is God-centered. He stresses that everyone has a love tank that needs to be filled. By doing seemingly small things on a consistent basis in a way that matches the love language of our spouses, we can keep the love tank full.

Thanks for serving at this retreat, Fr. Kevin, and thanks for your vocation. Don’t Blink.