Briar Cliff students help prepare diocesan youth for confirmation

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
April 6, 2006

Briar Cliff University students shared their experiences with students throughout the Diocese of Sioux City during confirmation retreats this school year.

From September through April, the BCU students presented seven confirmation retreats in the diocese to help high school students as they prepare for the sacrament of confirmation. The retreats were either held on the Briar Cliff campus or at the parish or school of the confirmation students.

Sister Janet May, director of campus ministry at BCU, pointed out that Briar Cliff continues to provide the retreat because of popular request. She added that she keeps getting more and more requests.

The theme of the retreat is Crossroads to tie in with the concept that high school students are at a point where they are making a lot of decisions about their life.

"They have to make a lot of decisions about their faith life," said Sister Janet. "Are they going to follow the values of Jesus? With confirmation are they really going to affirm their baptism? Do they want to complete the initiation process?"

Throughout the retreat, the students get an overview of confirmation and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Each college student is in a small group with about five high school students.

"They are learning more about the Catholic faith. Do they really want to be serious about living it?" said Sister Janet. "We hope that once they get a renewal of their faith. They begin to realize that the Holy Spirit can give them added strength to live out their faith and confront the temptations that young people have to face."

The college students witness to their struggles with faith and how they came through and made a choice for Christ. They also talk about how they dealt with the temptations out there - drugs, alcohol - that try to trap them and pull them away from living as a Christian.

"They really have to make a choice to follow Jesus and the values of Jesus," said Sister Janet. "That is not easy today."

Another talk is about the role of service and what that does in a person's life. The confirmation students are also invited to share how service has been a part of their life and how it has changed them.

During the year, BC students have reached out to parishes and schools throughout the diocese. They have given retreats to about 520 students. Students from Marcus, Trinity Cluster, Rock Valley, Remsen, Moville, Kingsley, Hartley, Sioux City, Granville, Alton, Hospers, Sheldon, Le Mars, Neptune, Merrill, Hinton, Elk Point, S.D. and a few others experienced the Crossroads retreat.

"I like it when we can cluster different parishes together because it gets students mixed with other students," said the campus minister. "I find that those retreats seem to go even better because they meet new students."

There was a pool of over 40 students who help with the retreats. Not all of the students helped with every retreat due to only having about 20 participating each time.

Beth Kowal, a senior at Briar Cliff who was part of the team for a few of the retreats this year, mentioned that she decided to help with the retreats because "anytime you share your faith someone, it is time that you live the Gospel. That is what we are all called to do."

"I hope that they gain an understanding that people aren't afraid to live their Christian life," said Kowal. "They are going to learn the basic book stuff in school, but seeing college students - someone they can look up to - is going to help them see it is okay to live that life and let other people see that you live that life."

She added that through the retreats she has gained a better understanding of where she was at that time in her life. She was younger when she was confirmed but related to what they are going through.

"I decided to participate because I like working with kids," said Travis Schumacher, a Briar Cliff freshman. "It is kind of a challenge. It is kind of a game. If you keep their attention and you can make them laugh and learn, then you win. If you don't, you lose."

He was a CCD teacher when he was a junior and senior in high school, so he wanted to continue helping students. He hopes the confirmation students gain a better knowledge of why they are being confirmed or the purpose of being confirmed.

Schumacher would like them to understand what is going on such as "Why do they put oil on their forehead? Why do they have a saint name? Why isn't their mom or dad their sponsor?"

Dominique Valdes, a freshman at Briar Cliff, helped with five of the retreats this year. When she was in high school, she was her cousin's confirmation sponsor. It drew her to helping with the retreats through Briar Cliff.

"It is so much fun," said Valdes. "When you do a good job and inspire the students, it is really worth it. They first come and they don't want to be there, but by the end of the day they are happy they came."

She hopes that the students see that "being Catholic and going to church isn't a bad thing."