HOW TEC BEGAN – A NEW KIND OF RETREAT
Father Matthew Fedewa and Dorothy Gereke, Founders of TEC
In the beginning…
In 1965, Fr Matthew Fedewa, a priest and high school teacher in Lansing, Michigan, was inspired by the renewed vision of the Catholic Church and the centrality of the Paschal Mystery. He knew the traditional retreat models were not engaging his students, and with the local faith community encouraging him, he embarked on creating a retreat where his students could experience an authentic encounter with Christ.
Providentially, Fr. Matt had attended Loyola University’s Institute of Pastoral Studies that summer and incorporated some of the principles he was learning, particularly from Fr. Alfonso Nebreda, SJ*, a highly acclaimed leader in religious formation and catechetical renewal after Vatican II.
Due to the cultural shift of the times, youth ministry in American needed a different approach – a missionary catechesis. This meant the Good News had to be presented within the context of youth culture – meet them where they are.
The first TEC weekend was held October 9-11, 1965. This and subsequent TEC weekends were held at a former nurses’ residence hall on the campus of the Sisters of Mercy Hospital in Battle Creek, MI, where Sr Mary Concetta, RSM** (Dorothy Gereke), the administrator of the hospital, hosted the weekends. Fr. Matt handled the theological and spiritual aspects of the retreat, while Sr. Mary (Dorothy) worked out the practical details.
The experience had a deep and lasting impact on Fr. Matt’s students. A living community grew out of the retreat, supporting and mentoring the young adults who were now embracing their faith.
This three-day weekend, which Fr. Matt called “Teens Encounter Christ”, quickly began attracting the attention of other dioceses and sparked a movement that still burns brightly today.
In 1965, Fr Matthew Fedewa, a priest and high school teacher in Lansing, Michigan, was inspired by the renewed vision of the Catholic Church and the centrality of the Paschal Mystery. He knew the traditional retreat models were not engaging his students, and with the local faith community encouraging him, he embarked on creating a retreat where his students could experience an authentic encounter with Christ.
Providentially, Fr. Matt had attended Loyola University’s Institute of Pastoral Studies that summer and incorporated some of the principles he was learning, particularly from Fr. Alfonso Nebreda, SJ*, a highly acclaimed leader in religious formation and catechetical renewal after Vatican II.
Due to the cultural shift of the times, youth ministry in American needed a different approach – a missionary catechesis. This meant the Good News had to be presented within the context of youth culture – meet them where they are.
The first TEC weekend was held October 9-11, 1965. This and subsequent TEC weekends were held at a former nurses’ residence hall on the campus of the Sisters of Mercy Hospital in Battle Creek, MI, where Sr Mary Concetta, RSM** (Dorothy Gereke), the administrator of the hospital, hosted the weekends. Fr. Matt handled the theological and spiritual aspects of the retreat, while Sr. Mary (Dorothy) worked out the practical details.
The experience had a deep and lasting impact on Fr. Matt’s students. A living community grew out of the retreat, supporting and mentoring the young adults who were now embracing their faith.
This three-day weekend, which Fr. Matt called “Teens Encounter Christ”, quickly began attracting the attention of other dioceses and sparked a movement that still burns brightly today.
Father Jim Brown, OAR
And it shall continue…
By 1975, TEC centers had popped up across the country, and many of the centers sensed a need for unity and clarity in assuring they were maintaining the authentic spirituality of the TEC movement. Some centers experienced inadequate preparations and centers began to close.
Out of this need for preparation, authenticity and clarity, TEC centers began to gather together, and from those meetings, the National TEC Conference was born. This council would sustain the spiritual quality of all local centers.
An official manual was designed with clear concepts and authentic norms for the unfolding of the process. Fr. James Brown, OAR***, served as a leading force and inspiration in the development of this manual. He recruited Fr. Matt and other TEC leaders from around the country to meet, study, research and develop a manual that would stay true to sound spiritual principles and practices.
No local TEC Movement may be established unless it is under the direct authority of the local bishop. The spirituality committee of the TEC Conference continues to provide educational materials and training for adults aiding them in the formation of the adult faith community that sustains today’s TEC Movement.
* SJ – Society of Jesus
** RSM – Sisters of Mercy
*** OAR - Order of Augustinian Recollects
By 1975, TEC centers had popped up across the country, and many of the centers sensed a need for unity and clarity in assuring they were maintaining the authentic spirituality of the TEC movement. Some centers experienced inadequate preparations and centers began to close.
Out of this need for preparation, authenticity and clarity, TEC centers began to gather together, and from those meetings, the National TEC Conference was born. This council would sustain the spiritual quality of all local centers.
An official manual was designed with clear concepts and authentic norms for the unfolding of the process. Fr. James Brown, OAR***, served as a leading force and inspiration in the development of this manual. He recruited Fr. Matt and other TEC leaders from around the country to meet, study, research and develop a manual that would stay true to sound spiritual principles and practices.
No local TEC Movement may be established unless it is under the direct authority of the local bishop. The spirituality committee of the TEC Conference continues to provide educational materials and training for adults aiding them in the formation of the adult faith community that sustains today’s TEC Movement.
* SJ – Society of Jesus
** RSM – Sisters of Mercy
*** OAR - Order of Augustinian Recollects