All retreats are offered on a sliding scale, with scholarships available.
Private Room – $710.00
Shared Room – $560.00
Camping – $395.00
Commuter – $320.00
Date & Time Details: Check-in is between 4:00 and 6:00 pm on Thursday. The first gathering is dinner at 6:00 pm. The retreat concludes after lunch on Sunday, at approximately 1:00 pm.
Location: Turning Point
Address: 2495 Fox Gap Road, Bangor, PA, USA
Contact: lacey
Email us about program
October 22 - 25, 2026
With Dave Howser and Paul F. Morrissey, OSA
For many years, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Questioning men have come together at Kirkridge to deepen community, share laughter and song, tell stories, honor those who have died, and draw strength from one another in the beauty of the mountain landscape. This annual retreat welcomes GBTQ men of every generation who are walking a spiritual path. Seekers, ministers, single or partnered men, first-time guests, and longtime participants are all invited to arrive exactly as they are.
The program includes guided presentations as well as space for reflection, conversation, singing, and small-group connection. There will also be generous unstructured time for solitude, walking the land, socializing, and resting.
This year’s retreat leader is Dave Howser, a therapist and pastoral counselor in Chicago who grew up in the Appalachian Mountains of Maryland and has attended this retreat for many years. Other men will also take part in program leadership throughout the weekend and help shape the retreat experience.
Leaders
Dave Howser, M.Div., LCPC has facilitated groups, workshops, and retreats for LGBTQ+ people of faith for more than 30 years. His work centers on the meeting point of spirituality and sexuality, informed by experience as a resident chaplain on a hospital AIDS unit, a mental health counselor at an HIV/AIDS service organization, and a retreat leader with men’s groups and interfaith organizations. He now practices psychotherapy and pastoral counseling in Chicago, IL. You may also find Dave canoeing, hiking in the forest, camping on a mountain, or reconnecting with his Western Maryland Appalachian roots.
Paul F. Morrissey, OSA is an Augustinian friar and ordained priest. In 1973, Fr. Paul co-founded the Philadelphia chapter of Dignity, an LGBTQ ministry in the Catholic Church. In 1977, he co-founded Communication Ministry (CMI), an international monthly newsletter, journal, and retreat ministry for LGBTQ priests, brothers, and sisters. His ministry has focused primarily on those marginalized in society and the Church—people who are dying, those in need of counseling, those in prison, and LGBTQ people and their allies. He is the author of three books, including Let Someone Hold You: The Journey of a Hospice Priest, an award-winning memoir, The…
With more than 30 years of experience, M.Div., LCPC has guided groups, workshops, and retreats for LGBTQ+ people of faith with care and insight. His work centers on the meeting point of spirituality and sexuality, creating space for honest reflection, connection, and healing. His background brings together a wide range of lived and professional experience, including serving as a resident chaplain...
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Fr. Paul Morrissey, OSA, is an Augustinian friar and ordained priest whose ministry has long centered on compassion, inclusion, and care for those on the margins. In 1973, he cofounded the Philadelphia chapter of Dignity, an LGBTQ ministry within the Catholic Church, and in 1977 he helped establish Communication Ministry (CMI), an international monthly newsletter, journal, and retreat ministry for...
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Price
$320.00
Thu, Oct 22 – Sun, Oct 25