Finding Strength in Brotherhood: Gathering of Men Retreat Set for Late January

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Each January, the mountains of Estes Park fill with brotherhood as Catholic men from Colorado and beyond make their way to the YMCA of the Rockies. They come carrying ordinary burdens: pressures at work, strains in fatherhood or struggles in marriage. Some arrive unsure why they signed up at all.

The Gathering of Men Retreat, held this year from January 30 to February 1, invites men into something deeper than a weekend away. Under the direction of Father John Lager, a Capuchin Franciscan friar, and Father Doug Grandon, the retreat is designed to help men speak openly about the challenges of living the Catholic faith and to support one another in authentic relationships rooted in the Gospel.

The weekend includes small group discussions and large group gatherings featuring inspirational testimonies. Here, grace often works through simple truth-telling, patient listening and the courage to ask for help. In those circles, men discover that God’s mercy meets them where they are and calls them forward.

The Gathering of Men began in 1991, with the foundation laid by Father Ken Leone and a group of laymen who believed men needed space to be strengthened in faith and challenged to live holy lives. What started small grew steadily, reaching nearly 300 men by 2000, when the retreat moved to Estes Park. Today, the Gathering continues to serve 300-plus men annually and is part of Colorado Catholic Retreats, alongside Women’s Journey, which began in 2000.

While rooted in Catholic teaching and leadership, the retreat welcomes all Christian brothers seeking healing and renewed discipleship. For men longing to grow in prayer, holiness and brotherhood, the Gathering offers a simple invitation: come, let Christ meet you and do not walk alone.