Tag Archives: Spokane Catholic Engaged Encounter

Crowded/Glorious Engaged Encounter Retreat

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This past weekend, Sidney and I presented at another Spokane Catholic Engaged Encounter retreat. It marked the fifth retreat that we have given since we joined the ministry in 2022 and the third since we were discerned as the community leaders in 2025.

The couples from the May 2026 Spokane Catholic Engaged Encounter retreat flash their certificates of completion.

This latest retreat was particularly noteworthy for a few reasons. First, we had 22 couples join us, a record for a post-COVID retreat. At the Immaculate Heart Retreat Center they had to change the seating configuration from a length-optimized setup to a width-optimized setup because of the sheer number of attending couples. We even had to speak into microphones because of the volume of people and the increased area of space we took up compared to an average retreat.

After mass on Saturday night, I ran up to the loft and took a photo of the 22 couples plus Sid, Fr. Jeff Lewis, and the Schroeders. The May 2026 Spokane Catholic Engaged Encounter retreat was memorable for the outstanding attendance we had.

Another unique aspect to this retreat was the addition of two other couples on top of the 22 who had already registered. In the Tri-Cities area of Washington State, the Catholic community down there is trying to bring its own Engaged Encounter ministry to fruition. Because of this, two couples from the group attempting to launch an EE presence came up to observe how we give retreats. It was fun to show them what we do and the teamwork needed to pull off a weekend. They were impressed.

We got to take the retreat outside on Saturday morning for a Spokane Catholic Engaged Encounter tradition known as the “Yes/No game.”

And most significantly, this retreat will forever stick out because it was the last one that Fr. Jeff Lewis presided over as the Spokane Catholic Engaged Encounter chaplain. For years he has been the lead priest on our ministry team but that all changed a couple weeks ago when Bishop Daly announced new priestly assignments. Fr. Jeff was impacted in the announcement as the bishop named him pastor of Assumption Parish and St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Walla Walla, WA. Because he will now be three hours away from Spokane, he had to step down from his role as EE chaplain. However, I think we sent him out on a high note with so many couples in attendance and a retreat that went as smoothly as you could hope.

Sid and I stand with Natalie Schroeder, Joe Schroeder, and Fr. Jeff Lewis. We served as the ministry team at the May 2026 Spokane Catholic Engaged Encounter weekend that took place at the Immaculate Heart Retreat Center.

Thanks be to God for another enriching Spokane Catholic Engaged Encounter retreat. Special gratitude to Joe and Natalie Schroeder for presenting with us again. What a blessing this ministry has been to Sid and me…we can’t wait to present again. Don’t Blink.

Past Engaged Encounter Blog Entries
Embracing Vulnerability at Engaged Encounter
A Marital Lesson I Recently Accepted
Still Making It Look Easy: Fr. Pat Kerst
Presenting With My Wife at Engaged Encounter

Embracing Vulnerability at Engaged Encounter

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As I have mentioned before, Sid and I are part of a ministry called Catholic Engaged Encounter. A big component of this ministry is retreat-based. Our Spokane chapter, which we are the leaders of, stages three weekend retreats for engaged couples to attend each year. One of these retreats took place this past weekend and Sid and I once again served as a presenting couple.

Sid and I presented at our fourth Engaged Encounter retreat this past weekend.

We teamed with Ric and Cindy Gaunt and Fr. Ken Krall to make a positive impact on the six couples who attended. Our goal was to prepare these future husbands and wives for successful marriages that are centered on God. Through numerous presentations, activities, and face-to-face discussions, we did our best to achieve it.

Sid and I worked with a fabulous team at our most recent Spokane Catholic Engaged Encounter retreat. Ric and Cindy Gaunt plus Fr. Ken Krall joined us to form the ministry team for the October 2025 retreat.

This was the fourth retreat that Sid and I led. Each one is always a blessing but I feel like a new theme emerges each time. For this past retreat, what I took away was just the fruit that is produced when a chance is taken.

An aerial look inside the Immaculate Heart Retreat Center as the engaged couples who attended the October 2025 Spokane Catholic Engaged Encounter prepare for the beginning of the next session.

These days, it can be a tough sell to ask a young engaged couple to give up an entire weekend to sleep in dormitory-style accommodations and listen to approximately 15 different presentations. In a society where God is devalued, direct communication is avoided, and smart devices are king, a Catholic-centered retreat that encourages young adults to unplug and embrace vulnerability can do more to repel than to attract.

Kudos to these engaged couples (plus Fr. Ken Krall) for making it through the October 2025 Spokane Catholic Engaged Encounter retreat.

But thanks be to God for the six couples who still chose to attend the retreat. As they arrived at the Immaculate Heart Retreat Center, they were frank about the anxiety they were feeling. Our response? We feel anxiety, too! Even though this was the fourth retreat we gave, Sid and I still get nervous to present and we are very aware that we aren’t perfect. Being able to communicate this to the attendees usually calms nerves.

As the retreat progresses, you can begin to see the couples relax more and truly appreciate the opportunity in front of them. Saturday night’s intimate mass followed by a candlelight prayer service usually seals the deal for those who came to the retreat feeling apprehensive. By Sunday morning, many of the couples appear to be glowing.

The engaged couples who attended our October 2025 Spokane Catholic Engaged Encounter retreat take a moment after mass and the candlelight prayer service took place in the Immaculate Heart Retreat Center chapel.

We always ask the couples to fill out evaluation forms at the end of the retreat—in fact, we withhold their graduation certificates until they do 😉. The evaluation form asks the attendees to rate their experience, the weekend’s impact, our performance, and whether they would recommend the retreat to others.

Not to toot our own horns because a satisfying retreat is always indicative of God’s power and has nothing to do with us, but feedback is typically extremely positive. However, in addition to the stellar written reviews from this past weekend’s retreat, we also received some verbal affirmation.

Sidney and Cindy Gaunt discuss something as the engaged couples write after a presentation.

A couple approached Ric, Cindy, Sid, and me after the graduation ceremony and told us their story. The guy said he had reservations about attending the retreat and was accompanying his fiancée to humor her. But as the weekend unfolded and he bought into our invitation to embrace vulnerability, he ended up really appreciating and learning from the retreat. He concluded that he was grateful to have attended.

If you know an engaged couple who would benefit from an Engaged Encounter retreat—Catholic or not—feel free to reach out to me. The experience will only help their future marriage once they tie the knot. Don’t Blink.