Confirmation Retreats

     As we prepare to celebrate Confirmation with 270 or so young people at the end of May and the first 2 weeks of June - we gather this week and next for Retreats with these Confirmandi (those to be confirmed). We are blessed in Holy Family Parish to have developed a team of young adults (and some of us older adults too!) to plan, prepare, facilitate and lead the teens of our Parish who seek to celebrate this sacrament. These youth leaders have been terrific examples of faith being alive and real for young people today!
     Often times in our own history, we were told that Confirmation is all about the young person "confirming their faith", the Church teaches us that actually the Church is Confirming their Baptism! One of the goals of this retreat is to allow the Teens to know the Power and Primacy of the Eucharist - in particular the Sunday Eucharist (that means Saturday Evening as well!)  In witness talks and skits, in prayer and celebration we try to lead these teens closer to Christ - who brings us home to the Father.  We also spent some times talking with the teens about some different methods of prayer. By reflecting on prayer through Music, with Scripture, and with the Saints, we hope to equip the teens with ways to deepen their relationship with God as they prepare to be Confirmed.

Two retreats worth of pizza boxes!

     We have had 2 retreats so far - and at the retreats we serve Pizza - a favourite food group amongst Teens! This is what 2 retreats worth of flattened pizza boxes looks like! (We flatten them to get them ready for recycling.)
Let us pray for the young people:
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, and kindle in them the fire of your love!
Peace.