Afternoon Retreat for Couples

This Valentine’s Day retreat offers couples a rich, creative, and faith-filled opportunity to reflect on the beauty and calling of marriage, inspired by one of the Church’s great saints of love.

It is presented by acclaimed playwright and theatre-maker Stephen Callaghan and wife Rachel Callaghan.

Drawing on Saint John Paul II’s deeply insightful plays The Jeweller’s Shop and Radiation of Fatherhood, this retreat explores love, responsibility, and the “law of the gift” at the heart of marriage.

Through dramatic excerpts, reflection, and personal testimony, Stephen and Rachel share how the wisdom of the Playwright-Pope has profoundly shaped their own journey as a married couple.

Stephen Callaghan is Creative Director of the Archdiocese of Glasgow Arts Project (AGAP) and an internationally recognised playwright, performer & theatre-maker. He has written extensively on faith-related subjects with works including The Margaret Sinclair Story (2016) and Pilgrim of Hope (2025). His play Gaudi: God’s Architect (2024) was a sell-out success at the Edinburgh Fringe.

Rachel Callaghan is a trained theatre director and actor, and a founding member of Catholic Mothers Barrhead, bringing both artistic insight and lived experience of marriage and family life.

The FREE event is organised by the Marriage & Families Commission of the Archdiocese of St Andrews & Edinburgh. It is aimed at married and engaged couples. We also welcome couples discerning their vocation to marriage. This retreat includes Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament readings and prayers relevant to the vocation of marriage. Doors open from 1:30pm. Questions? Contact [email protected]

INFO

Parking

There are around 20 free spaces in the Church car park. There is also free on street parking in surrounding streets.

Crèche

There will be a crèche available for children of primary school age and older. If you are bringing a child please let us know.

Tickets

Each person attending needs to register (so that we have all attendee names).

Transport

St Kentigern’s is located at 26 Parkgrove Avenue Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 7QR.

By bus: From Edinburgh, you can take the X58, X54, X55, X61, which stops at Barnton Junction. From there it is a 10 minute walk to the Church at 26 Parkgrove Avenue. We recommend using the Lothian Buses app for routes/times.

From Fife, you can take buses including the X55 and X58 which also stops at Barnton junction.

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Host or Publisher Archdiocese of St Andrews & Edinburgh