Teens Encounter Christ Is Back: Die, Rise, Go – Gigi Wilwerding – 10/16/2026

The St. Thomas More Center in Panora is home to Catholic Youth Camp, but its mission of forming missionary disciples runs year-round. Gigi Wilwerding, the center's first full-time retreat coordinator, joins Deacon Mark Campbell to talk about the retreats it hosts on campus and brings to parishes.

Gigi discusses:

• What "retreat life" means, and why stepping away from the phone is a skill young people have to learn
• Retreats for eighth graders and for freshmen and sophomores (the Journey to Emmaus confirmation retreat)
• Teens Encounter Christ (TEC), now back in the Diocese of Des Moines: a three-day weekend for high school juniors and seniors built on the Paschal Mystery, with daily themes of die, rise, go
• The "aha moment" when a teen realizes they are made in God's image with a purpose
• How TEC alumni, young adults, and adults (who can attend as observers) can help lead future weekends
• TEC as a national movement, with Iowa teens heading to Covington, Kentucky, to help grow TEC there

Upcoming TEC weekends: December 5–7, 2026; February 6–8, 2027; and April 3–5, 2027, at the St. Thomas More Center. The weekend costs $190, and scholarships are available so cost is never a barrier. Donations to help a teen attend are welcome. TEC is open to teens from anywhere, not just the Diocese of Des Moines.

Resources:

• Upcoming TEC weekends and registration
• About Teens Encounter Christ
• St. Thomas More Center retreats

Hashtags #TeensEncounterChrist #TEC #CatholicYouth #CatholicRetreat #StThomasMoreCenter #CatholicYouthCamp #CatholicMorningShow #IowaCatholicRadio

Credits: Produced, Edited, and Mixed by Ayden Pugh

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