Unfolding the Moral Life: Grief, Vulnerability, Recognition, Conscience
A Retreat for LGBTQ+ People, Family, and Friends
September 11-13, 2026
James F. Keenan, SJ
The retreat will help us to explore the foundations of the moral life. First, like Mary Magdalen in the Garden looking for the body of Jesus, we too in grief find that we are beside ourselves. While we look for answers, we discover, like Mary, ways for moving forward that we never imagined. In the vulnerability of grief, we have a new openness to how we want to proceed; but key to keeping our course is staying vulnerable. As members and allies of the LGBTQ+ community, these two stages–the loss encountered in grief and the discovery of vulnerability–are the beginnings of unfolding the moral life.
Then comes recognition, where we, vulnerable within the LGBTQ+ community, become like the Good Samaritan able to recognize those on the road who need to be accompanied and lifted up. Here we see that we have a new ability to recognize those who are so often overlooked. Finally, in that capacity to recognize those on the road, we see how conscience is born. Our time together will combine presentations, conversations, silent meditation, communal prayer, and socializing.
Offering: Overnight Guest, Friday through Sunday - $435
Commuter - Friday through Sunday - $150
Commuter - Friday through Saturday - $75
Commuter - Saturday only - $50
This program is sponsored by New Ways Ministry.
Founded in 1977, New Ways Ministry is an affirming ministry of advocacy and justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+)Catholics, and reconcilitation within thelarger Catholic and civil communities.
Schedule
*Schedule subject to change*
Friday, September 11, 2026
3:00 pm - Arrival and check-in to room
6:00 pm - Dinner
7:00 pm - Introductions, Grief, Q&A
8:30 pm - Evening Prayer
9:00 pm - Social
Saturday, September 12, 2026
8:00 am - Breakfast
9:00 am - Morning Prayer
9:30 am - Vulnerability, Q&A
10:30 am - Quiet time
11:00 am - Small group discussion
11:45 am - Large group discussion
12:30 pm - Lunch
1:30 pm - Free time
3:00 pm - Recognition, Q&A
4:00 pm - Quiet time
4:30 pm - Small group discussion
5:15 pm - Large group discussion
6:00 pm - Dinner
7:00 pm - Evening Prayer
7:30 pm - Film
9:00 pm - Social
Sunday, September 13, 2026
8:00 am - Breakfast
9:00 am - Conscience, Q&A
10:00 am - Break
10:30 am - Eucharist
11:30 am - Lunch
12:30 pm - Departure
Presenter Profile
James F. Keenan, SJ
James F. Keenan, SJ is the Canisius Chair, Director of the Jesuit Institute, and Vice Provost of Global Engagement at Boston College. He founded Catholic Theological Ethics in the World Church, an international network of ethicists. He received the John Courtney Murray Lifetime Achievement Award from the Catholic Theological Society of America and was president of the Society of Christian Ethics, 2020-2021. He has written 13 books including A History of Catholic Theological Ethics (2022) and The Moral Life (2023) and edited another 17 books. Fr. Keenan is the founding editor of the Georgetown University Press Moral Traditions Series.
Dietary restrictions? Holy Family is committed to making your stay as comfortable and enjoyable as possible, and to that end, we can accommodate most dietary needs. Please email Marianne, our Dining Room Manager, at mbrady@holyfamilyretreat.org, if you have any dietary restrictions or food allergies, so that we may make preparations in advance of your retreat.