The History of Emmaus House
The Story’s Foundation (Luke 24:13-35)
The Emmaus Story in Luke 24:13-35 is the inspiration for the name given Emmaus by the Jesuits in 1974. It is the paradigm of spiritual direction. We are to understand the events in our [lives] in terms of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Our identity is found only in relationship to God. The life, death and resurrection of Jesus gives meaning and shape to our human experiences.
Intimacy with God is no small matter. Let us continue to share the good news of how our eyes have been opened and how we have recognized him in the breaking of the bread. Let us pray for each other as we journey on into the future. ~Fr. Gene Merz, SJ
The Dream
In 1973 Bishop Maurice J. Dingman contacted Dick Rice, SJ, regarding the possibility of Jesuits coming to Des Moines. A meeting was held on June 17, 1974 at Bishop Dingman’s home with representatives from the Diocese and the Society of Jesus. Gene Merz, SJ arrived in Des Moines on July 31, 1974, the Feast of St. Ignatius, and began to live at Emmaus at 1437 Woodland Avenue in Des Moines along with Gary Brophy, SJ.
The Early Beginnings:
The community saw many Jesuit priests come to Emmaus through the 1970s including co-founder Gary Brophy, SJ who left in 1976 due to poor health. It was clear that the people of Des Moines were hungry for apostolic spirituality integrated into their daily lives. Emmaus quickly became a popular space for directed retreats, spiritual direction, prayerful Eucharistic celebrations and dialogue about their lives and ministry.
Sister Mary Dingman SSSF, sister of Bishop Dingman, made her first retreat with Gene Merz in 1976. In 1978 Gene Merz, SJ hired Mary Dingman to serve with him at Emmaus. Emmaus continued to become a place of respite not only for the Emmaus community but for the neighborhood as well with an open door policy for anyone who needed a moment of peace in their day.
Fr. Gene left Des Moines on July 31, 1979 to serve within his own Wisconsin Province of the Society of Jesus.
The Lived Vision.
By the early 1980s the Wisconsin Province of the Society of Jesus requested that Emmaus be transferred to the Diocese of Des Moines. Through negotiations, fundraising, a number of Jesuits to serve the community and a steadfast commitment to the ministry by Mary Dingman, Emmaus was transferred to the Diocese by 1987 and was renamed “Emmaus House.”
For three years in the early 1990s Mary Dingman served as the sole director of Emmaus until the newly installed Bishop Joseph Charron invited Benno Comely, SJ to join as co-director to model the ministry more intentionally. Kornely stayed until 1998.
In 1998, diocesan priest Fr. Dan Krettek was assigned to Emmaus House by Bishop Charron, marking the end of Jesuits directly serving Emmaus House. Soon to follow was Sr. Charlotte Huetterman, OSM, allowing Mary Dingman to retire after twenty faithful, generous years of ministry. Sr. Joyanne Mueller, OSF followed Sr. Charlotte from 2006 to 2012.
The Forward Future
In 2012 Emmaus House welcomed its first lay co-director, Cindy Shaw. Together with her husband, Cody, Cindy lived in the house until 2018.
By 2018 the Emmaus House board had already begun discussions regarding the viability of the ministry and the building. While the ministry was not only viable but vital, the building – a three-story Victorian home – was quickly being outgrown and was not accessible to wheelchair users or persons with difficulties using stairs. As Kevin O’Donnell was hired as co-director in 2018 the board looked at hundreds of properties to discern if they were the right fit for the future of Emmaus House.
A property was finally chosen on the eastern edge of Urbandale in what was the original Urbandale city hall. Although a plain, brick square from the outside, the board saw potential on the inside. What the board didn’t see was the coming of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.
Just as renovations were getting underway, progress slowed down with the construction industry and the rest of the world. But renovations were completed and an open house was held, along with a Mass with Bishop William Joensen, in the summer of 2022. That summer Fr. Dan Krettek retired from his position as co-director.
The board appointed O’Donnell as Director in 2022 and later that fall April Young joined the staff as Associate Director. Kevin O’Donnell left his position as director at the end of 2024 and Young has been in the position since. And although he is officially retired, Fr. Dan Krettek can still be found celebrating Mass and offering days of reflection.