Co-Hosted by:
St. Louis IX Art Society
Join the St. Louis IX Art Society & Aquinas Lafayette for a Catholic literary arts-themed retreat!
This day-long gathering, co-hosted by the St. Louis IX Art Society and Aquinas Lafayette and themed “Catholic Story-Telling in Acadiana,” will bring together local novelists, short story writers, poets, and artists with our wider community to celebrate the feast that is our Catholic faith and the arts in South Louisiana.
Gather with us on the grounds of Holy Cross Catholic Church in Lafayette, LA, where — in the heart of Acadiana — the Word finds a home, time and again, in the good soil that Christ speaks of in Matthew 13 and brings forth grain in great abundance.
In this storied literary setting, we’ll delve into the rich relationship of world and word, considering, through voices past and present, how Acadiana continues to inspire its own literary tradition and how that tradition interacts with the wider literary world.
Together, we’ll enjoy:
keynote presentations by Karen Ullo & Danny Fitzpatrick
concurrent sessions & workshops
poetry reading with local Catholic poets
Liturgy of the Hours and Mass with the Community of Jesus Crucified
life-giving community and socials
live entertainment to conclude the evening
This Catholic literary arts retreat is for everyone — artists and non-artists alike, so we hope you’ll join us for a restorative and transformative experience!
Featured Speakers
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Danny Fitzpatrick
Editor of Joie de Vivre, Translator of Dante’s Divine Comedy, Author of Only the Lover Sings, First Make Mad, Restoring the Lord’s Day, & Yonder in the Sun
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Karen Ullo
Editorial Director of Chrism Press, Author of Jennifer the Damned, Cinder Allia, & To Crown with Liberty, & former Managing Editor of Dappled Things Magazine,
Interested in participating in the fest as a Concurrent Session speaker?
We welcome concurrent session proposals exploring the intersection of faith, art, and culture in Acadiana. We hope to feature a blend of academic presentations, panel discussions, and generative workshops in the literary and visual arts.
Proposals of no more than 250 words, along with a short biography, should be sent to Danny Fitzpatrick at editor.jdv@gmail.com.
Live Musical Performance!
After a day of keynote lectures, concurrent sessions and workshops, poetry, Mass, prayer, and community we’ll conclude the festivities with a live musical performance by Jonno Frishberg & Katie Rees!
Schedule
Saturday
Registration - 7:15-8:15am
Lauds - 8:15am (Church)
Welcome / Opening Remarks - 8:45-9:00am
Keynote #1 (Danny Fitzpatrick) - 9:00-10:00am
Break - 10:00-10:10am
Concurrent Session #1 - 10:10-11:10am
Mass – 11:15am (Church)
Lunch - 12:00-1:00pm
Concurrent Session #2 - 1:10-2:10pm
Break - 2:10-2:20pm
Concurrent Session #3 - 2:20-3:20pm
Break - 3:20-4:15pm
Poetry reading (local Catholic poets) - 4:15-5:15pm
Vespers – 5:30pm (Church)
Dinner - 6:00-6:50pm
Keynote #2 (Karen Ullo) - 6:55-7:55pm
Live Performance (Jonno Frishberg & Katie Rees) & Social - 8:10-8:55pm
Closing remarks - 8:55-9:05pm
Join us at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Lafayette, LA!
Just minutes from downtown Lafayette and St. Thomas More High School, join us at Holy Cross Catholic Church for this one-of-a-kind retreat!
Presenting Sponsors
The Moviegoer Sponsors
Sponsor the Fest!
Are you a local entrepreneur and business leader that would like to support this one-of-a-kind cultural event for the Catholic Church in South Louisiana? If so, we would like to invite you to sponsor the Fest! To receive more information, fill out the form below: