Festival of Friendship 2026 Schedule
September 18–20, 2026
Over three days, the Festival of Friendship brings together conversation, art, music, shared meals and prayer as we explore what it means to see, hear and receive one another with tenderness.
All are welcome. Please register in advance and indicate whether you will attend Friday dinner, Saturday lunch or Saturday dinner so that we can prepare accordingly.
Schedule subject to change. Additional details will be added as they are confirmed.
Main Schedule
Fri. the 18th
Kids’ Village: 7:00–9:00 p.m.
Children must be accompanied by a parent or caregiver who remains on the premises.
5:30 p.m. | Dinner
7:00 p.m. | Festival of Friendship Welcome
Welcome from Rebekah Feeley.
7:30 p.m. | Incline Thine Ear
An evening of selected readings.
8:00 p.m. | Ryan Hill Quartet
An evening musical performance.
Sat. the 19th
Kids’ Village: 9:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m.
Children must be accompanied by a parent or caregiver who remains on the premises.
9:00 a.m. | Breakfast
9:30 a.m. | On Jazz and Listening
with Ted Panken
11:00 a.m. | Parenting and Listening
A panel discussion about listening to the real needs of children, featuring Tania Geist, Justin O’Connor and Lucia O’Connor. Moderated by Rebekah Feeley.
12:00 p.m. | Lunch
1:30 p.m. | Hearing the Cry of the Poor
Keynote address by Alberto De Simoni.
3:00 p.m. | Suzanne on Cry of the Heart
An exhibit presentation by Caroline Doyle and Olivetta Danese.
4:30 p.m. | Fostering Human Flourishing: At Home and Abroad
A panel discussion with Jackie Aldrette of AVSI and Katie Holler, founder of The Dorothea Project.
5:30 p.m. | Mass
6:00 p.m. | Dinner
7:30ish p.m. | All, All of Them Were Singing
A community sing-along.
Sun. the 20th
Kids’ Village will be open during the Assembly. Children must be accompanied by a parent or caregiver who remains on the premises.
9:00 a.m. | Sunday Morning Mass
10:00 a.m. | Breakfast
11:00 a.m. | Closing Assembly
A concluding gathering for Festival volunteers and speakers.
Children’s Village
Open Friday evening from 7:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m., Saturday 9:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m., and Sunday during closing Assembly starting at 11:00 a.m.
Activities on Saturday will include:
Welcome exercise pairing older and younger children
CGS presentation: The Vastness and Unity of History
Writing, art, and poetry for older children: My Place in God’s Universal Plan
Altar frontal project
Individual works
Outdoor break and nature walk
Art project completion
Dinner
Movie or music for children
Social Stories
Here are some social stories you can show your children. They are useful for introducing kids to a new environment! You can use the stories as they are, or, if you wish to personalize them for your family, you can make a copy of each Google Slides presentation and fill in your own information. Our family finds it helpful to review these while we are travelling to or right before an event, and sometimes they can be useful to look at again during an event as well.
Looking forward to seeing you and your family at the Festival!