By Jay Sorgi • Posted October 28, 2025

Sixty years have passed since the experience now known as the Our Lady of Confidence Retreat for Adults with Intellectual Disabilities began.

Dozens of faith-filled adults joined enthusiastic volunteers in encountering God during the 60th annual retreat, held Oct. 14-16 at Malvern Retreat Center.

Attendees had the opportunity to make free will donations, but no one is ever turned away due to an inability to pay.

Msgr. Richard Bolger, the pastor emeritus of St. David Parish in Willow Grove, has been involved with the retreat for 43 years.

“I’ve been fortunate throughout my life, but I had a sister that had Down syndrome, and my sister is at Divine Providence Village (part of Catholic Charities of Philadelphia’s Communities Don Guanella and Divine Providence), so I was very familiar with those needs,” he said.

“The men that brought them out there 60 years ago were Legion of Mary men who would visit the patients at Norristown State Hospital. They’re the ones that brought them out here. It’s something that I always wanted to continue, because it does have value.”

Frank Coyne is also a regular volunteer at the retreat, someone who sees God working in these adults’ lives.

“I see things happen, the Holy Spirit working in each individual’s life as they are here, and these little things are a part of their life,” said Coyne.

“There’s not that filter of guardedness. There’s a joy when they experience something that brings a smile to their face. It’s like it happens five-fold. I feel as though the Spirit is there, active.”

Michael Maggee’s life and journey is highly active, yet he appreciates the time to reflect and celebrate each year during the retreat in which he has participated for 46 years.

“I like it. I pray to God so I’ll be good,” he said during an enjoyable dinner period with longtime friends.
He celebrated his 66th birthday during the retreat, and took to the microphone for a post-dinner talent show, singing Tom Jones’ “She’s a Lady,” a song including the lyrics, “Always something nice to say, and what a blessing.”

Maybe he was singing about volunteers like the Mars family. Jenny Mars, a former and longtime office manager at St. Joseph’s Preparatory School, has helped make the retreat happen each year.

She has corralled Prep students to volunteer there for more than five years.

“Two of the Ignatian Way class students came, stayed overnight, and helped us through the night,” she said, noting that many other groups including from St. David’s regularly bring back volunteers each year.

The organizing team also remains on repeat each year. It happens to include Jenny’s daughters Erin Mars and Chrissy Sandora, along with Madeline Knowles. The retreat has become one of the highlights of Jenny’s year.

“My girls have been coming since they were in high school. They asked to take it over last year because they love it so much,” Jenny says.

“One of the proudest moments of my life was when my daughters last year said, ‘Would you mind if we took it over and ran it?’ “There’s nothing I want more for my kids than to be involved, to love people, to see everybody in the image of God. It was probably the proudest moment of my whole life.”

Erin has one special buddy whom she helps and sings with during the talent show with every year, Joe McLaughlin. He has encountered God, friendship and joy on the retreat for 15 years.

“He’s so overjoyed. He gets so excited,” Erin said. “I just see Christ so much through his joy.”

“I enjoy myself. I like it,” Joe explained with a simple but profound zeal for the experience. When asked about the friendships he’s made, he rattled a long laundry list of first names.

It’s the experiences of faith that mean even more to Joe.

“We ‘do’ compassion. We get our feet washed,” he said. “I see Jesus on the cross, and in my friends that are here.”

Joe and Erin sang the song “Breaking Free” from the movie “High School Musical” during the talent show, something he and other retreatants like Erik Kozlowski truly experience in the three blessed days of the retreat.

Kozlowski’s experience allows him to celebrate the miracle that he is still alive, after a car accident that he said gave him about a one-percent chance to live.

“I’m here for a reason. I’ve yet to figure out a reason. I didn’t do anything, except bad luck got me in an accident. I often feel like I don’t deserve this,” the humble Kozlowski said.

“Just everyone here makes me feel close to God. I know I’m close to God.”

He explains what so many of the retreatants also experience: an unbridled passion for each other, for life, and especially for God.

“I especially like to go to the chapel and pray myself,” said Kozlowski. “I hope that people can see God in my story.”

It’s not hard to see God in every retreatant’s story, and in the story of 60 years of love which happens every October.