Happening: A Meaningful Weekend for St. Luke’s Youth

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church recently announced the participation of youth member Samantha Goar in Happening, a spiritual renewal weekend hosted by the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi. The event offered Samantha a meaningful and faith-centered experience, and church leaders hope that sending youth to Mississippi will help reestablish Happening within the Diocese of Louisiana.

Happening is a well-known retreat designed to help teenagers explore their faith through worship, talks, small-group conversation and Christian fellowship. For Samantha, the experience was both powerful and transformative.

Samantha attended Happening #99 in Gulfport,Mississippi. She said she arrived not knowing what to expect. “I did not know anyone who was going, which was scary at first,” she said. “But once I got there, I met so many amazing people.”

She described the weekend as “a magical experience,” especially after a season of feeling spiritually distant. “In the months before Happening, I felt really distant from God and did not know what to do,” she said. “After Happening, I feel closer to God than ever.”

A key part of the weekend was the small-group community. Samantha said the group quickly became a place of trust and support.“My small group was made up of people who genuinely know me better than most people in my life,” she said. “Talking with other kids my age who struggle with the same things I do, and who also believe the same things, made me feel so heard.”

She said the experience offered her both encouragement and a renewed sense of belonging. “I learned so much from everything at Happening, and it helped me be closer to God and know that I am not alone.”

The event took place from Nov. 21 to 23, 2025, giving youth an opportunity to grow in faith, form lasting friendships and experience the presence of God in a supportive community.

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