About Us

What is Ecclesia Domestica?

Ecclesia Domestica is a group of men -- clergy and laity -- dedicated to calling Catholic men to a real awakening, to a realization of what we have in the Church. That vision starts within. So we invite men to stand up in our faith, to recapture the lapsed sense of brotherly spiritual leadership in our personal and prayer lives, our marriages, our families, our parishes, our workplaces, and our communities.

Fully committed to the magisterial authority of the Church, we use a core team of guys which includes two priests and six laymen to steer our organization. Our primary activity is arranging and conducting prayerfully considered retreats for Catholic men.

What Happens at the Ecclesia Domestica Retreat?

At our retreats, we invite dynamic and learned Catholic speakers to speak in large group sessions around a common theme. Usually it is a mix of priests/deacons but also regular lay Catholic men, whose personal testimonies are extremely well received. For example, this year's St. Cloud Diocese Retreat is "Year of Mercy: do you hear the CHURCH BELLS calling you?" Our speakers include Fr. John Klockeman of St. Paul Seminary, Fr. Greg Paffel who is a diocesan priest in Sauk Centre, and Nic Davidson from the Diocese of Duluth.

In addition to the large group speakers, we offer small group sessions where retreatants reflect informally about the themes expressed. Often, these small groups of 6 or 7 men provide the setting for honest, emotional and heartfelt sharing among the guys. The healing and awakening cannot start until the need for it is recognized, and there is enough emotional security in a small group of brothers to allow this to happen.

Our retreats also offer spiritual direction. Each retreatant is provided at least one session per day with a priest or deacon, one-on-one, to explore the Church's powerful message of healing and strength. Long standing questions that each of us have about our faith can be explored in a comfortable setting with a man trained and ordained through Holy Orders.

Confession is provided as well; The Sacrifice of the Mass is celebrated daily. Rosary and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy are prayed. Benediction and Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament provide us with extensive time to worship our Savior. A prayer ministry for healing of urgent needs of the men is held on Saturday evening.

What Else does Ecclesia Domestica Do?

Ecclesia Domestica holds one other type of event. Every three months or so in St. Cloud, our team hosts Men on a Mission, which is a 90 minute, Friday evening gathering featuring a speaker on topics important to us as men and as Catholics. Past talks have covered Divine Mercy, pornography, Catholic marriage in these times of cultural attack, Marian devotion, etc. The evening ends with praise, prayers, and fellowship.