Teens Journey Forward in Faith

Young men and leaders who attended the Journey retreat,

March 29 - 31.

Every journey begins with a single step and diocesan teens are now taking steps forward in their faith through Journey, a new retreat program established by the SS. Peter and Paul Spirituality Center at the Immaculate Conception Center, Douglaston.

The Center is inviting high school students to embark on three-day retreats during which they will come to a deeper understanding of their commitment as young Christians to their families, local communities and the universal Church.

For 72 hours, teenagers have an opportunity to experience Jesus through music, peer discussion and the sacraments of confession and Holy Communion. There are separate weekends scheduled throughout the year for boys and girls as well as co-ed overnight prayer vigils.

The first Journey retreat, held March 29 - 31, was attended by 28 young men from local parishes, public high schools and Catholic high schools, including Holy Cross H.S., Flushing; Christ the King R.H.S., Middle Village; Xaverian H.S., Bay Ridge, and St. Francis Prep, Fresh Meadows.

“The Journey experience was such a good feeling for me.  Before the retreat I wasn’t in touch with God as much as I wanted to be. I always wanted to but was never inspired as I should have been. … I’m just so ecstatic I found Jesus,” said Joseph Siniscalchi, a sophomore at Christ the King.

Junior Nicholas Alvarez from Holy Cross H.S. added, “The retreat changed me both mentally and spiritually. This experience has taught me how disconnected I was from God both as a friend and as my guide. I also recognized how much my parents love me and want the best for me. Finally, I hope in time to be able to hear God’s will and grow in my relationship with Him.”

Journey has the support of Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, Bishop Frank Caggiano, vicar for Evangelization and Pastoral Life; Msgr. Neil Mahoney, SS. Peter and Paul Center director, and Deacon Rich Gilligan, associate director. The program is under the direction of the diocesan Personal Involvement with Christ (P.I.C.) program, founded in 1977 with the assistance of the diocesan Franciscan and Holy Cross Brothers.

Father Edward Doran, spiritual director of the Journey program, said that the underlying philosophy of P.I.C. is that at the Last Supper, when Jesus instituted the Eucharist, He knelt down and washed the disciples’ feet.

Not only did He command them to celebrate the Eucharist in His memory, Jesus told them to go and do likewise with regard to service. For P.I.C. members to fully celebrate the Eucharist, they must serve both God and neighbor. There is an intimate relationship between service and the Eucharist. P.I.C. members are expected to receive the Eucharist weekly and perform apostolic acts of kindness.

In 20 years, more than 3,000 teenagers and over 100 adults made the P.I.C. retreat weekend. Through the dedication and contributions of many priests, principals and lay people, the program thrived until its retirement in 1998.

The retreat program was reborn this year, due in large part to the P.IC. alumni, who are enthusiastic to bring today’s teens to Jesus. The P.I.C. alumni team has over 200 volunteers, including priests, teachers, doctors, police officers, firefighters, businessmen and women, full-time moms, accountants and lawyers — all developing their own families with Christian values.

Under the leadership of Father Doran, Deacon Gilligan, Brother Geoff Clement O.S.F., a board member on the retreat team, and Frank Fusco, program director, teenagers will be guided to a future of committing to the service of the Church.

Brother Geoff noted that “it offers young people the opportunity to have a genuine and profound experience of the love of Christ in their lives — an experience that is tragically non-existent in many of our young persons’ lives today as evidenced by recent events in the news. They are exposed to a spiritual capacity that all people possess but which cannot be found in malls, showrooms, music videos or television. It is a rare opportunity to reflect on their lives in the silence of their hearts and their relationship with Christ,” said Brother Geoff.

Once teenagers complete the weekend, they are invited to continue to become part of the retreat network in their school and the diocese itself.

A Journey retreat for high school girls is set for May 10 - 12. Another boys’ retreat will be held May 17 - 19. For details, contact Deacon Gilligan at 718-229-8001 ext. 310.

Youth Views

In the wake of the Virginia Tech shooting, which took place four days before the eighth anniversary of the Columbine H.S. massacre, do you think schools should take more precautions to prevent violence on their grounds?

Areiba Edwards St. Joseph H.S. Freshman Yes, but all we can do is our best to protect each other. I think schools should have cops or security at every doorway. My school has security cameras and if they (security guards at the door) don’t know you, you won’t get in.	Ceylonni Rhodes St. Joseph H.S. Freshman Enough precautions have been taken. Things like this happen because of a lack of communication. People have to learn to communicate in a rational way.

LaShauna Walker St. Joseph H.S. Freshman Yes. Thirty lives could have been saved if they (Virginia Tech) had sent out a warning immediately after the first shooting. I would recommend that schools install a special alarm to sound only in the event that people’s lives are in danger.	Ebuwa Otagho St. Joseph H.S. Senior I honestly believe that the government should do more. They should ban weapons for all people who aren’t law enforcement. This would prevent people like Cho Seung Hui from acquiring weapons.

Stacy-Ann Edwards St. Joseph H.S. Freshman I don’t think most schools take enough precautions. Every school should have metal detectors. When adults see students with problems or anger issues, they should be evaluated to make sure they won’t harm themselves or others.	Ed-Maggie Myrthil St. Joseph H.S. Senior While I believe Virginia Tech should have better informed students of what was happening, I blame the guns that are legal for civilians to purchase. Our school prevents violence by having counseling services and by monitoring the mental health of students.

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