In 1996, Tekton Ministries’ founder, Richard Sontag found himself in a predicament. Having built a successful sales empire, the Lord “knocked him over the head” in what Richard calls his “St. Paul” moment – making it clear that the life he had built around fancy houses and fast cars was not what God wanted for him. Following a great deal of prayer and several pilgrimages, Richard sold his company and began planning and promoting the thing God had laid on his heart – pilgrimages.

From that very first pilgrimage, Tekton has become a ministry focused on providing journeys which build relationships with Christ and community. While providing pilgrimages to parishes and other non-profit organizations, the need for improved tools for organizational management, marketing, and communications became apparent. In response, a new division of Tekton was created. With a goal to help Catholic parishes and non-profits flourish, this Tekton effort is called “Thriving Parish.”