Last year, Katy Bontempo signed up for Emmaus 90 not really even knowing what it was.
“It just sounded like a new New Year’s resolution for my spiritual life,” said Bontempo, a member of Immaculate Conception Parish in Bay View.
But the 90-day program, which organizers describe as “an invitation to the adventure” of God’s mission for the world, ended up changing Bontempo’s prayer life.
“It led me to follow a simple prayer routine. It was manageable with my busy working-mom life. It anchored me to daily conversation with Jesus and strengthened my devotion to the Eucharist,” said Bontempo.
Emmaus 90, offered by the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis, is back for a second year with all-new content. Emmaus 90 “pilgrims” receive daily prayer prompts, a guidebook journal, challenges to grow in holiness and weekly online formation sessions led by speakers recognized throughout the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and the nation.
The goal of the program is to help pilgrims “learn how to hear (God’s) voice, learn how to recognize him drawing close to you and respond to his invitation into the adventure, which is his mission for the life of the world,” said Margaret Rhody, Associate Director for Parish Renewal at the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis. “Because you, and the purpose he has for you, are a part of his mission.”
“My biggest takeaway was Jesus is so near,” said Bontempo. “He is waiting for us to show up so he can pour out his love on us and we can receive him. I can’t recommend (Emmaus 90) enough.”
More than 2,000 pilgrims registered for the program last year. In crafting this year’s program, organizers took their cue from the “Walk With One” initiative that was announced on the final day of the National Eucharistic Congress in July. In addition to learning to recognize and respond to God’s call in their own lives, pilgrims will receive formation on accompanying others in their faith journey. By the end of the 90 days, pilgrims will understand “what it means to ‘walk with one,’” said Rhody.
“We’ll be able to help them to apply the content of each talk to what it looks like for them in their own life,” she said.
Online formation sessions will be offered weekly and will feature leaders like Sr. Miriam James Heidland, S.O.L.T.; Grace Urbanski, author and speaker; Eucharistic preachers and archdiocesan priests Fr. John Burns and Fr. John LoCoco; and Fr. Christopher Klusman of the Deaf Apostolate. The topics and theme of the formation sessions will be drawn from the movements of the story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24:13-35.
Registration is open now for Emmaus 90, and pilgrims are encouraged to sign up by Dec. 10 to receive their guidebook before Christmas. Pilgrims are encouraged to sign up in small groups, though individual registrations are welcome. “Individuals can sign up on their own and if they do, we’ll encourage them to pray about and invite one, two or three others to walk with them through the process,” said Rhody. “And that can be their family, that can be friends, that can be coworkers, neighbors, people at their church. If your relationship with Jesus and the Catholic Church has transformed your life and there’s someone else in your life that you wish had what you have, invite them to do this with you.”
Bontempo herself participated at the invitation of a friend.
“Before Emmaus 90, I was a faithful, practicing Catholic, but as a convert, I wasn’t catechized in the traditional way. I really didn’t know how to pray, and I didn’t realize I didn’t know,” she said.
Registration is $20 per person (though no one will be denied due to financial circumstances) and can be completed online at archmil.regfox.com/emmaus90-2025.
There are a number of options for parish-wide participation, said Rhody. Parishes can place a bulk order for Emmaus 90 guidebooks for $15 each ($10 for orders of more than 100) to distribute to parishioners, or they can place a bulk order for the “Christmas Edition” guidebook journal (for $2 each), which introduces Emmaus 90 practices and provides journaling pages for Dec. 25 through Jan. 19, and encourages participants to register themselves for the full Emmaus 90 journey beginning Jan. 20 (90 days before Easter).
Another option is for parishes to register for a coupon code that will allow parishioners to sign up at a discount of the parish’s choice.
Parishioners from Immaculate Conception and St. Augustine parishes in Bay View and Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in St. Francis formed small groups to follow the Emmaus 90 journey last year. “We had a few different small groups that would get together for the (formation sessions) watch party every Thursday night, and then they would have a little bit of discussion before and after the video,” said Fr. Edward Sanchez, Pastor of the three parishes. “It was this beautiful kind of sharing of graces.”
“Emmaus 90 is really a New Year’s resolution that you can make to live the Catholic spiritual life and walk with friends or family to encourage each other along that way of growth,” said Rhody. “My hope is just that it will help people fall in love with Jesus and his Church.”
In its second year, Emmaus 90 has added a Christmas session, which will run Dec. 25-Jan. 19 and will introduce Emmaus 90 practices and will allow participants to journal during that time frame.
