Youth participate in Advent mini-retreat in Willmar

Willmar, MN - Approximately thirty high school students gathered for an evening retreat on December 8 at St. Mary’s in Willmar. Youth of the diocese Heidi Beranek, a college freshman and TECite, and Jennifer Onnen, a high school senior and a DYC member, assisted Sr. Margaret McHugh, diocesan Director of Youth Ministry in directing the retreat. Volunteering their time and talent were a group of seniors from Our Lady of the Lakes in Spicer (pictured top/right) Jesse Mueller, Janile Lewis, Jeron Smith, Mitch Keenan, Adam Gorecki and Andrew Vogt. They performed a silent opening skit that really set the tone for the retreat.

The structure of the retreat was based on a pilgrimage and the young people learned that a pilgrimage begins "where you are". Youth traced each other's feet in chalk on the carpet to indicate their physical and spiritual location at the beginning of the retreat. As the youth traveled together throughout the retreat, they became aware that a pilgrimage is usually not a solitary experience but that of a group. Praying together at the various stops, the participants realized that the way that a pilgrim travels is different than that of a tourist. The retreat incorporated many different kinds of prayer helping the young people to become conscious that a pilgrim travels for spiritual motives. Upon exiting the worship space of the church, the group of pilgrims found they were back where they had started reminding them that even though they had returned to the same location, they were facing a different direction.

All participants were asked to bring $5 or a new baby gift to be donated to "Hope Pregnancy Center" in Willmar.