Plenty of Song, Prayer, and ‘Clarification of Thought’ at the 2026 Midwest Catholic Worker Gathering

About 75 people from 20 different Catholic Worker communities gathered this past weekend for the annual Midwest Catholic Worker Gathering at the Sugar Creek Retreat Center near Preston, Iowa. Blessed with fair weather (the gathering takes place mainly outdoors), people joined in roundtable discussions, singing, liturgy, a soccer game, a dance, and a variety show that this year featured “appearances” by Dorothy Day, Peter Maurin, and Dolly Parton. About ten children held their own, parallel gathering that mainly involved self-organized games and explorations of the retreat center.

Here are some of the highlights from the gathering.

Roundtable Discussion Topics

Many Catholic Worker gatherings include roundtable discussions, which are often self-organized on the spot. These are often a good barometer of what’s on the minds of people active in the movement.

This year’s Sugar Creek gathering featured three rounds of Saturday roundtable discussions, including sessions on prayer, liturgy, and Wild Church; Palestine solidarity; war tax resistance; the practicalities of establishing a land trust and land stewardship succession planning; Wendell Berry’s connections to and impact on the Catholic Worker movement; how Catholic Workers organize themselves; and a Catholic Worker response to artificial intelligence and data centers. A well-attended song circle event was held during one of the session slots. As usual, there were plenty of “pop-up roundtables” over lunch and in between other events, including one on the very practical topic of bedbugs.

Betsy Keenan attended the Wendell Berry roundtable and thought it was balanced nicely between people who had been influenced by reading Berry for a long time and people who were looking for advice about “where to start.”

“The thought that he is a ‘contemporary Peter Maurin’ is interesting and the distinction between roots in the European peasant culture and the more individualistic Jeffersonian small landholder is interesting,” she said.

diane leutgeb munson (sic) attended the roundtable on Palestine led by Brenna Cussen Anglada: “There were multiple people in the group who had been to Palestine within the last year and also people who attended the roundtable because they felt the need to better educate themselves about the issue. Brenna spoke sincerely, succinctly and with grace about her six weeks of solidarity work in the West Bank last year,” diane said.

“Others offered insights into the changed and ever-changing realities for Palestinians as settlers perpetrate violence and the Israeli military looks on. Brenna’s 20-year commitment to this type of solidarity work was inspiring, her knowledge of the subject matter is vast, but mostly, her joy-filled presence and her ability to connect with everyone who attended the roundtable was another reminder of what makes the Catholic Worker so exceptional.” I was so grateful to soak it all up and to be in the midst of such powerful and humble role models.”

David Blain attended the “How We Organize” roundtable. “Everything that I heard in that, particularly from Eric and Lincoln (Milwaukee I think) clarified my own experience of these 35+ years: mostly as one who tried to live as a CW alone intentionally, miles from any house or community; but then later as a guest/volunteer at Bethany [House of Hospitality] here, still a bit unsure about the way Workers do not emphasize external boundaries which would structurally separate people, and potentially pit their intentions in unsupportive directions.”

At the roundtable on artificial intelligence, participants shared a wide range of concerns, from the impact of data centers to the implications for artists and other creators. Brandon (South Bend Catholic Worker) urged people to get involved in organizing against data centers, something that the South Bend community has been doing locally.

Community Intros & Updates

Saturday kicked off with everyone introducing themselves and their community and sometimes providing news about what their community has been up to.

Little Platte: Growing food, making art

Now two years into its life on shared land in Platteville, Wisconsin, Little Platte Catholic Worker Farm reported that they are increasingly partnering with the Dubuque Rescue Mission, the largest homeless shelter in the area. The community consists of ten people, including four children, living together in one house; it donates the food it grows, runs a community-supported agriculture program, keeps goats and runs land-based craft workshops and art projects. The community regularly collaborates with Mary Kay’s Groundswell Joy Collective and the nearby St. Isidore Catholic Worker Farm.

Bloomington CW: Still getting together

Four members of the former Bloomington (Indiana) Catholic Worker community introduced themselves. “We still try to Catholic Worker,” Chris said, holding potlucks and discussions that draw the former members together.

Common Home Farm: Creation care and live karaoke

Laura introduced Common Home Farm (near Bloomington, Indiana). “We tend the land, tend our relationships with each other, and invite the extended community into creation care,” she said, describing ongoing traditions that include “live karaoke” nights and seasonal garlic sharing.

Nativity House: Running a CSA, caring for expectant moms

Cassidy and Kate introduced Nativity House Catholic Worker in Lockport, Illinois, which runs a CSA and offers hospitality to expectant mothers experiencing housing insecurity. Cassidy noted she doesn’t actually live at Nativity House herself — she described herself as one of the “Catholic Workers without a home,” working alongside the house without living there full-time.

St. Isidore: Solidarity work, wild church

St. Isidore Catholic Worker Farm (Cuba City, Wisconsin) continues to do reparations and land-return work, rebuilding relationships with a regional tribal nation (the Ioway/Iowa Tribe). The community practices “wild church” — outdoor prayer and liturgy tied to the solstices, equinoxes, and other feast days. This past year saw Brenna spending five weeks in Palestine and the community getting involved in and international Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) organizing (the subject of a roundtable she led at the gathering). Another highlight from the past year was the successful production of “Bridget’s Flame” in cooperation with the Little Platte Catholic Worker, at a venue in Dubuque; the communities won an Iowa Arts Council grant to put on the show again this coming January. Testing of the community’s well water also raised the possibility of nitrate contamination from farmland runoff, an issue the community is still figuring out.

St. Louis CW: Burritos, BDS activism

The St. Louis Catholic Worker is marking two and a half years in their current house — paid off unexpectedly this year with help from Catholic Worker friends on the West Coast, according to Theo Kayser. The community’s core outreach remains its burrito ministry: driving to homeless encampments to hand out food and supplies, with more frequent runs during dangerously cold winter weather. A few residents live in the house, and the community garden sometimes supplies vegetables for the burritos; members also mentioned occasional craft nights and movie nights. The house has also been pushing the city to divest retirement funds from companies on the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions list. Theo also continues to co-host the Coffee with Catholic Workers podcast.

St. Francis CW: A new mural

This past summer, Chicago’s St. Francis Catholic Worker painted a mural on its fence, thanks to traveling artist Dimitri Kadiev and dozens of volunteer painters from the community. (See a video about the mural on the community’s Instagram.) Dimitri said he has seen a growing interest in Catholic Worker communities taking on an educational role — teaching trade skills like stonework and woodworking as a debt-free alternative to formal schooling.

Peter Maurin Farm: Greetings from New York

Larry O’Toole, who splits his time between St. Francis Catholic Worker and Peter Maurin Farm in Marlboro, New York, just wrapped up his second summer there. He relayed that people at St. Joseph and Mary House in New York sent greetings. Tom Cornell Jr. sent his own greetings from Peter Maurin Farm along with an open invitation to anyone interested in the Mid-Hudson Valley region of New York to stop by.

South Bend CW: Hospitality, and a baby on the way

Bobby and Brandon represented the South Bend (Indiana) Catholic Worker; Brandon is a longtime member, while Bobby joked that he was so new (just two weeks in) that he didn’t yet have “permission” to say how the community “Catholic works.” Undeterred, he reported that South Bend runs two houses — one for men, one for women. The community’s drop-in center, Our Lady of the Road, offers breakfast, laundry, and showers three days a week, plus dinner service on additional days. The community also partners with Motels4Now, a motel-based housing program for people who are unhoused. Casey Mullaney, a longtime South Bend member who recently joined the New York Catholic Worker after her marriage to Carmen last year is now expecting a child sometime this month. “Keep them in your prayers,” Bobby told the circle.

Strangers and Guests: Goats, gardens, and resistance work

Brian Terrell and Betsy Keenan are marking forty years at Strangers and Guests Catholic Worker in southwest Iowa. They raise dairy goats and chickens, keep a large garden, and host guests for stretches as long as a couple of years. Brian reflected on Dorothy Day’s teaching that some Catholic Workers are called to “go to the war zone” and to “go to jail,”  a call he himself has answered repeatedly over the decades. He is looking forward to an upcoming stint in a Vermont jail. Meanwhile, Betsy noted that their long-running winter craft retreats that have been hosted at the farm for about 15 years will be on hold this year while they finish a building project.

Casa Maria: Remembering Don Timmerman

In Milwaukee, Casa Maria Catholic Worker marked its 60th anniversary this year — celebrated, as one member put it, “by not doing anything.” Only weeks ago, the community lost Don Timmerman, who had been with Casa Maria since 1974 and had become “really like a second founder” of the community after the original founders were deported to Ireland. Don was well-known in Milwaukee and across the Catholic Worker movement. The community’s core work remains hospitality for women with children, including houses dedicated to supporting mothers working to close open child-protective-services cases and reunite with their kids. The community also runs a furniture shed alongside ongoing protest work.

Beth Preheim and Paul Gallagher: Founding “Love and Dishes” CW in southeastern South Dakota

Beth Preheim and Paul Gallagher introduced themselves as a newly formed two-person household they call “Love and Dishes” — a name, they said, born out of a long text exchange full of autocorrect mishaps. The pairing continues a Catholic Worker presence in southeastern South Dakota that has run continuously for 40 years as of this month. Music is central to the community’s life: choral and traditional Irish music, plus a local ukulele club that’s mostly, Paul joked, about looking like you’re having fun: “I was handed a ukulele and told, just hold it and look like you’re having fun.”

Beth and Paul reconnected romantically exactly a year ago at Sugar Creek. Beth ended up proposing on Valentine’s Day at the Catholic Worker Farm Gathering in Luck, Wisconsin. “We both had vowed we would never do this again,” she said. “We were just gonna go solo for the rest of our lives” before “this magic happened.”

Anathoth Community Farm: Healing the land

Barb Kass and Mike Miles shared news of their latest adventures at Anathoth Community Farm near Luck, Wisconsin. Aside from hosting the Catholic Worker Farm Gathering, the community also joined the annual protest outside a nuclear-weapons-parts plant (the Kansas City National Security Campus) during a tornado warning. Al Zilk, a 90-year-old longtime Catholic Worker and war resister who lived at Koinonia and helped found Reba Place Fellowship in Evanston, Illinois, joined them on the picket line as sirens wailed and the rain started. Mike continues to work with the Wisconsin Farmers Union and the St. Croix Valley Food Alliance; in two weeks the farm will host about 100 high schoolers, teachers, agricultural agents, and soil scientists for the 50-year-old Wisconsin State Soil Judging Competition.

St. Hildegard CW: Working for migrant justice

Michelle Naar-Obed, speaking for the 12-year-old St. Hildegard Catholic Worker in Duluth, described a year spent organizing alongside the broader Interfaith Community for Migrant Justice coalition — a partnership that has, at various points, put asylum seekers and refugees up in local members’ homes; at one point, she said, four families had opened rooms, hosting as many as 18 people between them. In anticipation of last winter’s ICE enforcement surge, the community formed a rapid-response network and helped organize vigils that drew roughly 300 people at one event and 800 across the city in total. Two members spent the summer living at a Benedictine monastery, which Naar-Obed said helped the community “stay tuned to the moral compass” amid the surrounding noise.

Detroit CW: New ways of working after house closure

Members of the Detroit Catholic Worker reported that although Day House, its longtime house of hospitality, closed after nearly 50 years, the community has found new ways of carrying on. The community’s Manna Community Meal soup kitchen marked its 50th anniversary this year, coinciding with the retirement of co-founder Fr. Tom Lumpkin. That effort has seen an influx of new volunteers.

Winona Catholic Worker: Hospitality and refugee support

Although the Winona (Minnesota) Catholic Worker no longer does overnight hospitality, it provides drop-in hospitality throughout the week, thanks to the help of volunteers from the extended community. Mary Farrell noted that other Catholic Workers had reached out to check on Winona during this past year’s ICE enforcement surge. “I appreciate you reaching out to us,” she said. The community participated in weekly organized protests and vigils that numbered as many as 500 people at its peak. Jerry Windley-Daoust noted that although ICE has taken a less-visible approach to enforcement activities, its impact continues to be felt; two girls near his house haven’t seen their Venezuelan mother since December, when she was detained during a required check-in.

The Great Turning CW Farm:

The Great Turning Catholic Worker Farm in Madison, Wisconsin, grows food and raises children while providing hospitality out of the house next door. Two families — six people total — currently live there. Andrea and Justin noted that their “growing edge” has been figuring out how to help multiple families live together in close quarters. Right now the house includes a mom, dad, and 9-month-old; a mom, dad, and 11-month-old; and a mom, dad, and 9-year-old — a mix the community has watched turn into “this auntie-uncle situation happening in a really beautiful way.” The Great Turning also does nature-connection work and hosts an open monthly potluck and roundtable on the third Thursday of every month.

Quad Cities CW?

Donnie, currently living in Chicago, said he and his wife are hoping to start a Catholic Worker house in the Quad Cities. He offered no further details on timeline or location, but the news was greeted with enthusiasm.

White Rose: Part of a land-craft village

At White Rose Catholic Worker Farm near Kirksville in northeastern Missouri, John and Regina and their four children marked their seventh year as part of the Bear Creek Community Land Trust, which now includes twelve households aiming to build a “land-craft village.” The trust holds its annual harvest-dinner fundraiser the last Saturday of September; everyone is invited to attend. The farm’s acre-and-a-half pond finally filled and was stocked with fish this year, with the children enjoying fishing and swimming. Regina continues to do laundry in a horse-powered laundry house. And for the past six months, the family has been hosting a woman from Uganda who is working through a separation from her husband.

Ozark Foothills: Better Catholic art, and more sweet potatoes

Ellen and Shane Hughes from Ozark Foothills Catholic Worker (about an hour outside St. Louis in the Missouri foothills of the Ozarks) brought candles they had made themselves to share. Ellen has been inspired to create “better Catholic art” thanks to a book she recently received about Catholic Worker artist Ade Bethune. Ellen has been doing stained-glass painting as a result. On the farm side, they focus on saving and sharing seeds, collecting uncommon cultivars along the way — including the five varieties of sweet potato they baked into the sweet-potato biscuits served at this year’s gathering, and roughly 55 varieties of garlic.

Community Singing

Music, and community singing in particular, has become a hallmark of many Midwest Catholic Worker communities. This year’s Midwest Catholic Worker Gathering was no different. The Song Circle session held Saturday afternoon was well attended and lasted a full 90 minutes. Here are two recordings, one from the opening session and the second from Sunday’s closing liturgy.

“Revival” – Sugar Creek Community Sing

“I Want It Louder” – Sugar Creek Community Sing

Dancing and a Variety Show

After a day marked by serious discussions, people unwound Saturday evening with a square dance led by a trio of Catholic Worker musicians.

The dancing was followed by the traditional variety show in which communities “compete” to win Football Mary. As Brian Terrell explained in the opening session, the statue wasn’t always called “Football Mary.” At some point, someone left her somewhere too warm, and she started bending over — worse and worse over the years. That gave rise to the legend that she got bent by being hit with a football that was being tossed around inside a house of hospitality. Before she became the talent-show trophy, she had a different life as a traveling prank: people would unpack their car after Sugar Creek and find her stowed away inside, or visit another Catholic Worker house and find her hidden in their bed under the sheets when they went to leave.

This year’s talent show featured interactive poetry, songs, and an extended skit reprising episode eight of the Star Wars series. Lincoln Rice read selections from Peter Maurin’s Easy Essays and Brian and Betsy from Strangers and Guests, Catholic Worker, recited excerpts from Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin rejecting the authority of university academics.

In the end, though, the Ozark Foothills and St. Louis Catholic Worker communities took home “Football Mary” for their variety show skit in which they summoned the spirits of both Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin to help explain the essence of the Catholic Worker to a clueless friend; when neither founder’s elegant rhetoric broke through, they called on the spirit of Dolly Parton, ably played by Theo Kayser, who appeared in a blonde wig and bright red lipstick singing the late music icon’s “9 to 5.”

Closing Liturgy: Tears, Joys, and Blessings

Some Catholic Workers joined the parishioners of Sts. Mary and Joseph Church for Mass at 8 a.m.; the parish included an intention for their Catholic Worker guests in the Universal Prayer.

The closing liturgy included a ceremony in which participants were invited to pour water from a pitcher into a bowl representing their griefs, then were invited to add flowers to the bowl while naming their joys.

The liturgy closed with a communal blessing of the union of Beth Preheim and Paul Gallagher; the CW veterans sparked a relationship at last year’s Sugar Creek gathering, then got engaged at the Midwest Catholic Worker Farm Gathering in February. Together, they have formed the Love and Dishes Catholic Worker in Yankton, South Dakota—the continuation of a forty-year CW presence there.

And with that, everyone packed up and headed back to their farms and houses of hospitality. The next Midwest Catholic Worker retreat will be held in September 2027.

All photos by Jerry Windley-Daoust and Mary Farrell. Corrections or additions may be sent to hello@catholicworker.org.