I recently attended the French Riviera Institute conference, held October 1–4, 2026, at the Hôtel Barrière Le Majestic in Cannes, France. Next year’s conference will take place at the same hotel from October 7–10, 2027.
Fellows of the French Riviera Institute, who contribute €10,000 annually, will have a special evening on October 7. The regular conference will begin on Friday, October 8, and conclude on Sunday, October 10. Those wishing to remain for the entire program should plan to depart on Monday, October 11, or take a late-night flight on October 10.
Many regular Napa Institute Summer Conference attendees participated in this year’s gathering. The French Riviera Institute is beautiful and distinct from Napa, especially in its European character. It offers the opportunity to travel to the south of France, perhaps adding a trip before or afterward, while enjoying the company of both new and longtime friends. The generous amount of social time is an important part of the experience.
Cardinal Burke at the French Riviera Institute conference, Hôtel Barrière Le Majestic, Cannes, October 2026.
A European Partner for Formation
In 2018, after exploring ways to introduce the Napa Institute to Europe—including gatherings in Vienna, Regensburg and Rome—we concluded that Napa needed a European partner capable of promoting Catholic leadership and formation within the particular cultural setting of Europe.
Several people recommended Bishop Dominique Rey of southern France. I was told that he was deeply aligned with the mission and spirit of the Napa Institute, so I invited him to attend our Summer Conference in Napa, along with several of his collaborators.
Bishop Dominique Rey, who helped found the French Riviera Institute after visiting the Napa Institute Summer Conference in 2018.
After returning to France, Bishop Rey and his colleagues began exploring how such an initiative might take shape. The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted their early efforts, but they resumed their work in earnest in 2022. Like Napa, the French Riviera Institute began modestly and patiently. Since then, it has steadily gained momentum.
In 2025, approximately 140 people attended. This year, attendance grew to about 200, including nearly 50 young entrepreneurs. The annual conference is shorter than Napa’s Summer Conference, generally beginning around midday on Friday and concluding in the late afternoon on Sunday.
An Alliance of Friendship and Formation
The Napa Institute Board has executed an Alliance Agreement with the French Riviera Institute to cross-market one another’s events and strengthen our collaboration.
This partnership has also become personal and direct. Thibault de Saint-Vincent was appointed to the Napa Institute Board in early 2026, and I have been appointed to the board of the French Riviera Institute. We are therefore working together institutionally while allowing each organization to retain its own identity and independence.
During the conference, several people approached me to say that they hoped to attend next summer’s Napa Institute conference. I was given a few minutes before the closing dinner to introduce Napa, and our presence resulted in additional interest and attendees for our programs.
The French Riviera Institute will also participate in Napa’s Rome programs during America Week on April 9, 2027, including a luncheon at 1:00 p.m. and the evening America Gala April 10, 2027..
In addition, the French Riviera Institute is organizing a special pilgrimage to Mexico City from May 6–9, 2027, during the Jubilee year of Our Lady Guadalupe. The pilgrimage will be organized by an influential local who has been a friend of Napa Institute and French Riviera Institute . Through his relationships, the group will have access to a private nighttime viewing of the tilma of Our Lady of Guadalupe—an opportunity not ordinarily available to the public.
The tilma of Our Lady of Guadalupe at the Basilica in Mexico City, which pilgrims will view privately during the Jubilee pilgrimage, May 6 to 9, 2027.
The Napa Institute will post registration information on its website for those interested in traveling to Mexico City during this extraordinary Jubilee year. Rather than creating a competing experience, Napa will direct interested friends toward this pilgrimage.
The French Riviera Institute is also working with leaders in Central and South America to establish a Mayan Institute, which would be closely aligned with the French Riviera Institute and provide another opportunity for our constituents to participate in Catholic formation and fellowship.
Friendship as the Foundation of Unity
The conference renewed my appreciation for the importance of friendship in evangelization and Christian unity.
One priest described the difference this way: “This is the European way.” Americans, he suggested, have inherited from their Puritan ancestors a strong work ethic and a tendency to focus on accomplishing tasks. Europeans may place greater emphasis on enjoying one another’s company and allowing relationships to develop naturally.
There is truth in that observation. The French Riviera Institute creates generous opportunities for friendship through cocktail receptions, dinners, and informal conversation. These moments are not merely social extras. They are part of the conference’s apostolic purpose.
To evangelize and bring Christians closer together, there must first be friendship. People are more willing to listen, collaborate, and walk together when they know and trust one another.
The French Riviera Institute is now able to stand independently of Napa while remaining closely aligned with our mission. That is precisely what we hoped for when we began exploring a European partnership years ago.
The Church grows not only through ideas and programs, but through holy lives, hospitality, and enduring friendships. I am grateful that the French Riviera Institute has become a genuine friend and partner of the Napa Institute—and that together we can help form leaders who are faithful to Christ and courageous in bringing the Gospel to the world.
On October 15 at 12:30 PM Eastern, the French Riviera Institute is hosting a lunch following Napa Institute’s Faith & Business Conference and Eucharistic Procession. Register HERE.
