ND Vision Offers New View on Vocations

By Joseph Hadzovic

During July, two teens and two adult chaperones from the Bensonhurst Youth Ministry Cluster traveled to the campus of Notre Dame University in South Bend, Indiana, to attend Notre Dame Vision, a five-day program designed to foster a sense of vocation among high school students and invite them to become aware of how they can respond to God’s call in their daily lives. Read on to learn about the experience of one young man who journeyed from Bensonhurst to South Bend.

Bensonhurst to South Bend: Chaperones Frank Morale, far left, and Vinny Romano, far right, accompanied Mike Johnson and Joe Hadzovic, center, to the ND Vision vocation program for high school students.

After an 18-hour train ride, our group of four arrived at Notre Dame University six hours before the ND Vision program began so we took a tour of the amazing campus. For the next five days Notre Dame was home to 250 high school students. We lived on campus with students from all over the country.

That first day I got lost on the way to the opening meeting but I found my group quickly. I was teamed up with two Notre Dame undergrads and seven students. They were the people I would see most over the next five days.

Every morning began with prayer and always ended in an Our Father with everyone holding hands. Throughout the five days, 10 sessions were held. These sessions involved self-examination and what we were going to do with our lives.

The very first session was about the call to discipleship: What does Jesus want you to do? College students at Notre Dame, whom we called our mentors, along with adults and motivational speakers each shared stories about their personal lives and the roads they have traveled in relation to the topic at hand.

Speakers talked and we all listened and learned ways to apply what they said to our lives. After each session we met in small groups to talk about the topics. This involved intense thinking, examining and courage to talk about your personal life with people you barely knew. You knew their names and where they were from and that was it. However, that didn’t stop me.

Mentors usually led us through guided meditations and would always allow people to talk and no one would argue. You were never judged and could say how you feel, which is hard to do in today’s society. We even ate with our small groups. One thing about ND Vision is that no one is left out and everyone is a community especially in small groups.

Many topics, such as suffering, talents, sacraments and love, were discussed and there were opportunities for the sacrament of reconciliation. Reconciliation was a time to figure out what we do wrong in our own lives. There were over 15 priests ready to forgive people through the power of God.

The very last topic discussed before we headed home was talents. Leaders took everything we had learned through the whole week and asked us how were we going to use our talents when we returned home. This personally was the greatest thing I learned from ND Vision and it changed my life. I realized I want to be a speaker. I realized I want to use my words to help young people like me battle life’s challenges and bring them closer to God. That’s why I’m writing this, so adults and teens can think about what they want to do with their lives, what God wants them to do.

ND Vision was a life-changing experience and the highlight of my summer. The program teaches you a lot about yourself that you don’t know, and leads you to where you want to go in life. The staff, mentors, teens and speakers were all great and so are the memories. Every second on that retreat was worth it.

Joseph Hadzovic is a sophomore at Xaverian H.S., Bay Ridge, and parishioner of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Dyker Heights.

Kearney’s Latin Scholars Score 40 Awards

Forty Latin language students at Bishop Kearney H.S., Bensonhurst, received awards for their outstanding performance on the National Latin Exam this year. Rising sophomore Deirdre Hynes scored a perfect paper. Seven students received gold summa cum laude certificates and medals; nine received silver maxima cum laude certificates; 10 received magna cum laude certificates and 14 received cum laude certificates. Congratulations to all students who participated in the exam and Kearney’s Latin teacher William Biondolino.

Upcoming High School Open House Dates

Sept. 25
• Lourdes Academy H.S., Bushwick (co-ed) — 6-8 p.m. Call 718-455-3555.

Sept. 27
• Cathedral Prep Seminary, Elmhurst (boys) — 10 a.m. -1 p.m. Call 718-592-6800.

Oct. 2
• Catherine McAuley H.S., Flatbush (girls) — 6:30-8 p.m. Call 718-462-7282.

Oct. 4
• Msgr. McClancy M.H.S., East Elmhurst (boys) — 1-4 p.m. Call 718-898-3800 ext. 11.

Oct. 5
• Bishop Kearney H.S., Bensonhurst (girls) — 1-4 p.m. Call 718-236-6363.

Oct. 9
• Stella Maris, Rockaway Beach (girls) — 6:30-8:30 p.m. Call 718-634-4994.

Oct. 13
• Regis H.S., Manhattan (boys) — 1-4 p.m. Call 212-288-1100.

Oct. 16
• St. Joseph H.S., Downtown Brooklyn (girls) — 5:30-7:30 p.m. Call 718-624-3618.

• Lourdes Academy H.S., Bushwick (co-ed) — 6 - 8 p.m. Call 718-455-3555.

Oct. 18
• St. Francis Prep, Fresh Meadows (co-ed) — 12-4:30 p.m. Presentations at 12:15 p.m., 1:15 p.m., 2:15 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Call 718-423-8810 ext. 229.

• Dominican Academy, Manhattan — 10:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. Call 212-744-0195.

• Xavier, Manhattan (boys) — 1-4 p.m. Call 212-921-7900.

• St. Edmund Prep, Sheepshead Bay (co-ed) — Tours at 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Call 718-743-6100 ext. 42.

Oct. 19
• Holy Cross H.S., Flushing (boys) — 1-4 p.m. Presentations at 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Call 718-886-7250 ext. 525.

• Fontbonne Hall Academy, Bay Ridge (girls) — 12:30 - 3:30 p.m. Presentations at 1 p.m. and 2:15 p.m. Call 718-748-2244.

• The Mary Louis Academy, Jamaica Estates (girls) — 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Call 718-297-2120.

• St. John’s Prep, Astoria (co-ed) — 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Call 718-721-7200.

• Stella Maris, Rockaway Beach (girls) — 1-4 p.m. Call 718-634-4994.

• Mother Cabrini H.S., Manhattan (girls) — 1-3 p.m. Call 212-923-3540.

Oct. 21
• Nazareth R.H.S., Flatbush (co-ed) — 6 - 8 p.m. Call 718-763-1100 ext. 223.

• Bishop Kearney H.S., Bensonhurst (girls) — 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Call 718-236-6363.

• Marymount School, Manhattan (girls) — 6-8 p.m. RSVP essential. Call 212-744-4486 ext. 113.

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