Hosted by
St. Louis IX Art Society
Join Joie de Vivre & St. Louis IX Art Society for a Catholic arts-themed retreat!
This two-day gathering, hosted by the St. Louis IX Art Society, will bring together local artists, story-tellers, poets, and historians 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 Saint Joseph Abbey in Saint Benedict, LA, just minutes from downtown Covington, where 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 religious and artistic setting, we’ll delve into the rich relationship of art and faith, through voices past and present, to ponder how our Catholic tradition continues to inspire its own artistic culture and how this culture interacts with the wider literary world.
Together, we’ll enjoy:
keynote presentation
concurrent sessions & workshops
tours of the Abbey Church and refectory
bourbon stroll around the Abbey grounds
Liturgy of the Hours and Mass with the Abbey monks
life-giving community and socials
live entertainment
This Catholic arts retreat is for everyone — artists and non-artists alike, so we hope you’ll join us for a restorative and transformative experience!
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 South Louisiana. 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.
Schedule
Coming Soon!
Saint Joseph Abbey
Saint Joseph Abbey is a Benedictine community of monks located on 1,100 acres of beautiful pine forests in Saint Benedict, Louisiana. Over the past century, the Abbey has been an abiding spiritual presence in the Gulf South and has left an indelible mark on local and regional history. The Abbey has educated many of the region's civic and religious leaders, and it has founded and staffed numerous parishes in the New Orleans and Northshore areas. It has also had a significant impact on area culture by sponsoring and promoting programs in both liturgical and secular arts. And finally, Saint Joseph Abbey’s monks have remained faithful to prayer, work, and the monastic way of life.
Saint Joseph Abbey is a member of the Swiss-American Congregation of the Order of Saint Benedict, a network of autonomous, Roman Catholic monasteries in the United States, Canada, and Central America. Currently, the Right Reverend Gregory Boquet, O.S.B., former abbot of Saint Joseph Abbey, is the congregation’s Abbot President.
The monks of Saint Joseph Abbey live according to the Rule of Saint Benedict. Written in the 6th century by Benedict of Nursia as a guide to monastic life, it provides teaching about the basic monastic virtues of humility, silence, and obedience as well as directives for daily living.
Presenting Sponsors
Patrick F. Taylor Foundation
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: