“If God didn't want men to cry, why did he give them tears?”
— Angie Corbett-Kuiper
Follow Me, A Grieving Dad’s Retreat
is for men who have experienced the loss of a child through miscarriage and stillbirth or as an infant, child, adolescent, or adult.
Red Bird Ministries is offering an overnight weekend retreat in Louisiana for grieving fathers to experience hope, healing, and fellowship.
When: The weekend of April 25-27, Divine Mercy Weekend
Where: Camp 928 | Butte La Rose, Louisiana
Time: Check-in is at 3 pm on Friday. Departure is at 2 pm on Sunday
Cost: Accommodations and meals are included. $200 per retreatant, including the t-shirt.
Registration:
Financial sponsorships are provided but not guaranteed. Retreatants that have not made the retreat will be given sponsorships first. Apply for scholarship here.
No refunds will be given within 30 days of the retreat.
Registration: Registration closes on April 15, 2025
It’s perfectly normal to have questions, and we hope we can provide you with a little help in your discernment process.
By clicking the link below, you can register to receive a callback from a previous retreat participant. The registration form also lets you select your preferred contact method: email, text, or phone call, making this as easy and painless as possible based on your comfort level. Just click here and we will be in touch within a few days.
Have Questions
We recognize that signing up for one of our dad retreats can be particularly challenging for fathers of loss who are searching for support after their child dies.
There are many questions and reasons why you may feel like you can’t attend the Follow Me retreat.
Will we only cry and talk about our feelings? No and no. Everyone processes their grief differently. You may need to work through intense emotions with trusted individuals who understand loss, and it’s natural to cry because you loved your child deeply. However, the retreat isn’t solely focused on your feelings; there are also many practical lessons you can learn to help you move forward.
Will the leaders be too happy or too sad? The fathers' working retreat are further along on their journey, yet they are so relatable. They can be joy-filled while still grieving.
Can I trust that the facilitators will know the depths of my pain? The fathers leading the retreat know grief very intimately. The leaders represent all ages of child loss and will be sharing their testimony for relatability.
Will my grief be judged? We will never judge or compare your grief. Everyone experiences grief differently, but you will discover common themes that will help you on your journey.
Will my grief have a place at this retreat? Certainly. You will have all the support you need to face your grief at the foot of the cross, from our chaplain, a father of loss, to your peer leaders, spiritual directors, and counselors.
Join us in Prayer!
Sign up to take a holy hour during our retreat by clicking the button below. Prayer can be done in your adoration chapel in front of the Blessed Sacrament, at your home church parish, or in your prayer corner at home.
Sponsor a Grieving Dad.
Give the gift of support to someone who cannot afford to attend the retreat. The suggested donation is $200 for a full retreat scholarship.
Nicholas Matherne
“I wasn’t sure what to expect from this retreat. My son passed away over 7 years ago, and most days I feel I cope with his death pretty well. I didn’t know how much benefit I would get from a retreat like this, knowing other dads would be in much different places with much different stories and much different experiences. I think, though, that was one of the great parts of this retreat. We did have a retreat “team” leading the weekend, but all dads participated pretty equally, and we got to see how similar our crosses are at their cores. It’s encouraging to know that we’ll be able to attend this retreat multiple times, with every dad being in a different place spiritually, mentally, and emotionally and still have all of us get what we need from the weekend. I definitely was able to sit and pray with things I hadn’t thought about in a few years that was brought up by some of the talks. I was able to get some guidance on how to remove that wooden plank in my own eyes so I could help others with their splinters. I was able to connect with some good holy men I know I can now reach out to when I need support or even just a good laugh (we had a good bit of fellowship time over the weekend). The retreat setting at a south Louisiana fishing camp was also the perfect choice for a dad’s retreat. I definitely look forward to the opportunity to attend this retreat again in the future and to encourage other dads I know on this journey to attend and grow our brotherhood. ”
