Parish Missions and Retreats

Deacon Allen Tatara’s mission is to lead people into a deeper encounter with Jesus Christ and equip them to live their Catholic faith with clarity and purpose in everyday life.

Through preaching, music, and practical formation rooted in Scripture and the teachings of the Church, his ministry invites individuals and communities to grow in faith, renew their hearts, and respond to God’s call with confidence.

Mission themes include inviting people into a personal encounter with Jesus Christ and fostering a deeper love and understanding of the Eucharist. Deacon Allen’s seasonal missions during Lent and Advent also offer opportunities for reflection, repentance, and meaningful preparation for these sacred times. Deacon Allen will tailor his message to your organization, ensuring his presentation is aligned with your specific goals and needs.

Parish Mission/Retreat Themes

Gathered Around the Table: Becoming What We Receive (3 sessions)

Tables are one of the most important places where we connect as humans, which is why that we shouldn’t be surprised that throughout Scripture, God has a way of showing up at tables. In fact, the very spiritual center of our lives revolves around a table: the table of sacrifice; the table of communion. This renewal begins at the altar, but it doesn’t end there. We are called to carry the presence of Christ with us out into our communities and weave it into our everyday lives. This mission will help deepen your relationship with the Lord, reinvigorate the gift of the Eucharist, and discover how to bring Jesus to everyone we encounter.

Divine GPS: Letting God Be Your Guide (2-3 sessions)

In the grind of everyday life, God can seem distant. Yet just like a GPS that quietly guides us through traffic and recalculates when we take a wrong turn, God is always present, directing our steps and leading us closer to him. This mission invites us to discover how God reveals himself in the smallest details of our daily lives.

Recharging Your Spiritual Batteries (2 sessions)

This mission (through Scripture, stores, humor, and song) will offer six spiritual practices that we need to follow to recharge our spiritual batteries in order to renew our strength, restore our joy, release our anxieties, rekindle our hope, and reconnect us with God.

What Are We Waiting For? (Advent - 1 session)

Advent invites us to grow in spiritual wholeness by entering more frequently into silence, prayer, reflection, Scripture, and the sacramental life of our faith. But how can we achieve this during such a busy commercial season? This mission will focus on different ways to prepare for Christ’s coming, how to be more aware of the hopeful longing and joyous expectation of the season, and help increase our desire for God by discovering Christ’s presence in our lives right now.

Deacon and Wives Retreat

Recharging Your Spiritual Batters (Full day or weekend)

As ministers in the church, we are always leading ministries, attending meetings, visiting our parishioners, assisting our pastors and priests, and following the directives of our bishops. We get so busy doing things for others that we often forget to take care of ourselves spiritually. And when we finally realize this, we’ve already hit rock bottom – ultimately impacting the way we minister to God’s people this retreat will offer six spiritual practices that we need to follow to recharge our spiritual batteries. This will help renew our strength, restore our joy, rekindle our hope, revitalize our ministries, and reconnect us with God.

Testimonials

“What can we say about Deacon Allen Tatara as our Lenten Mission Speaker at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Dallas? He was a rock star! Our parish is still buzzing with the energy that Dcn. Allen brought to our parish. Dcn. Allen's love for the Eucharist and Jesus was very evident, and he brought his message to our parishioners in an interactive way with music, laughter and tears. His gospel insight and enthusiasm grew as the mission progressed, and it contributed significantly to a rich and meaningful event. Parishioners left the event each night excited to return the next day and brought someone new with them to share in the experience and message that Dcn. Allen gave to enlighten, enrich our souls and grow in knowledge, faith and love of the Eucharist. We have had many speakers over the years, and several of our parishioners said he was the best we have had to date. Working with speakers I can say Dcn. Allen was extremely easy to work with and a lot of fun to be around. It was a blessing to spend five days with him. We would have Dcn. Allen back at St. Patrick anytime because he is just that good and was loved by all who attended the 3-day event. You cannot go wrong by booking Dcn. Allen at your next event.”

Amy VitekDirector of Evangelization, St. Patrick, Dallas, TX

“Deacon Allen brought an incredible blend of music, storytelling, and deep spiritual reflection that left a lasting impact on our parish community. His unique approach to sharing the faith—through guitar-led songs, praise, and uplifting messages—made the retreat both engaging and inspiring. His ability to weave personal stories with the richness of Catholic teaching helped us deepen our understanding and love for the Eucharist. Deacon Allen’s preaching at our weekend Masses was heartfelt and moving, setting the tone for a retreat centered on the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. The two retreat sessions provided an opportunity for parishioners to reflect, pray, and renew their devotion. His joyful spirit and passion for the faith made the sessions both meaningful and memorable. We are grateful for Deacon Allen’s time, talent, and witness to the Eucharistic life. His retreat was a true blessing to our parish, drawing us closer to Christ and strengthening our faith community.”

Fr. Charles FladungPastor, St. Mary, Solon, Iowa

“We were so recharged as we left our retreat weekend with Deacon Allen. I most certainly highly recommend him if anyone out there is in need of a retreat leader/speaker. His message, humor and most definitely his music along with prayer certainly kept us focused on our Ministry of service.”

Deacon Michael MedvecSt. Patrick Parish, Hubbard, Ohio

“The feedback received from our diaconate community is that the entire weekend was great, and the speaker (you) was outstanding. All positive comments. Your talks were reflective, insightful, full of zest, and energetic. We all felt renewed and refreshed (and recharged).”

Deacon Dan VaughnPastoral Associate and Parish Administrator, Our Lady of the Ozarks Parish

“Deacon Allen’s energy and passion was truly inspirational during our parish mission. I laughed. I cried. I was deeply moved.”

ParishionerSt. John Vianney, Brookfield, WI

“You have so much energy and passion when you speak. Your presentation was awesome!”

ParishionerSt. Joseph, DeWitt, IA