FAITH OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUTH: Search weekend set for Dec. 4-5

By JULIE KEANE, Globe staff reporter
November 11, 2004

Catholic high school students are invited to attend a Search or Discover retreat, which is being offered to them to help build their faith lives, leadership roles in community and relationships with others.

The two retreats are offered twice this year to accommodate students busy schedules. The Discover retreat is offered to freshman and sophomores on Jan. 22 and 23 at Sacred Heart in Manning and at Immaculate Conception Church in Cherokee on March 5 and 6. The cost of the retreat is $30. The weekend will start at 1 p.m. on Saturday and conclude at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday.

Juniors and seniors are encouraged to attend the Search retreat offered on either Dec. 4 and 5 at Corpus Christi Parish Center in Fort Dodge or March 12 and 13 at Spalding High School in Granville. The retreat will start at 9 a.m. on Saturday and end at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday. The cost is $50 for the weekend.

"I think it's very important to offer opportunities for our youth to come together for faith sharing, spiritual renewal and enjoying getting together with other young people of the Catholic faith," said Linda Anderson, director of catechesis. "Also, when they have these experiences it helps to form them as leaders in the church. They are able to come back in leadership roles and serve others. This encourages and empowers them to do more within their own parishes and communities."

Students from the diocese are welcome to attend either of the retreats. Retreat leaders would like to see a minimum of 15 students and a maximum of 40 youth per retreat.

With the Search retreat right around the corner, Janet Klein, one of the coordinators for the Search retreat, said she her main goal for the retreat is youth participation.

"I hope our numbers are up this year," Klein said. "The youth is so busy with all of their other activities that our numbers have been going down in the past years. I am really hoping for 50 or 60 kids who make our retreat."

The weekend will start off with icebreakers and games to help teens get to know one another. Klein said the Search retreat would center on a lot of different things including large and small group activities.

"Our focus is on the Holy Spirit and we work through a cycle of conversion," Klein noted. "A lot is focusing on who they are and how they relate with others and their God."

There will also be a chance for the youth to have reconciliation and attend Mass.

"I think it's very important to take the time to look at their lives especially since they are juniors and seniors," said Klein. "They will be going off to college where they won't have mom or dad telling them what they need to do for their faith. This is kind of a first step for them to look at it for who they are and what they want out of their faith. This is a safe haven for them to look at it with some guidance."

Students are asked to pre-register no later than one week before the retreat. Youth wanting to attend the Search retreat are asked to send $15 with their registration. Also, sophomores or juniors wanting to attend the Discover retreat should send a $10 with their registration.

For more information about either retreat, contact Judy Forrest at (712) 233-7520 or Janet Klein at (712) 752-8689 for information about the Search retreat.