Sugar Creek Catholic Worker Gathering

The annual CW gathering is coming up and it’s even earlier this year! The gathering takes place outside Preston, Iowa (roughly between Dubuque and the Quad Cities)! Please RSVP to me if you plan on coming: catholicworkerschool@gmail.com. People will need to contribute ~$10/per person to cover costs. 

We need communities to volunteer for meals: Friday supper, Saturday breakfast, Sat. lunch, Sat. dinner, or Sunday breakfast. We also need an mc for the talent show and folks willing to help put together a Sunday morning liturgy. 

Sugar Creek Catholic Worker Gathering

September 7-10th, 2023

Saints Mary and Joseph Catholic Church 

3218 110th St. – Preston, Iowa 52069For people who haven’t been before, I copied and pasted the below from Maria Bergh:

-You can get to Sugar Creek as early as Thursday, but most people show up on Friday and there are no group meals provided until Friday supper. 

-The only food and drinks we have while we’re there is what we bring. Don’t depend on someone else to bring you food outside of planned meals — this is a great chance to empty your cupboards of all the stuff that hasn’t been eaten in the last six months. Likewise, this is an event with alcohol, if you want to drink, consider making a contribution. Same goes for coffee / tea. Last year we ran out of coffee!!

-It’s customary for large-ish CW contingents to support Saturday/Sunday meals. That means bringing the ingredients and prepping, cooking, serving the meal. It is customary to accommodate vegetarian, vegan, and GF options. There may be extra ingredients around to use from farms or other donations, but no promises. BYO spices, oils, some even BYO sharp knives, but most basic equipment is provided. Other CWs usually pitch in to support the dishwashing to lighten the load. 

-Agenda: Friday night is informal fun / campfire, Saturday morning is introductions, agenda setting, and then 3 round table sessions, usually with 3-4 options of round tables during each session. One of the round table sessions occurs concurrent with a soccer game. After dinner is a skit / talent show. Be prepared. Sunday morning breakfast, worship, clean up & departures.

-Accommodations: there are limited indoor restrooms including tiny showers, a CW-esque kitchen, several bunk rooms (bring your own linens, pillows), a field for tents, and port a potties. There are a couple private rooms, priority for families with kids.

-Rules: don’t sleep in the cemetery, no pets.

-Pack it out: all the extra food / compost / trash / recycling needs to go somewhere. Usually nearby farms take the compost, but if you have room in your car for a bag of trash or recycling, please help the cause. Usually you can also easily score a sandwich and / or snack (or more valuable things like a jar of honey or pickles) for the ride home as you help clean up the kitchen.

Peace,

Eric Anglada – St. Isidore Catholic Worker Farm 

608.568.3630 (landline) 

catholicworkerschool@gmail.com