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College students gather for annual retreat

Oct. 8, 2014

By Amanda Conklin
Contributing Writer

On the weekend of Sept .26-28, eighteen area college students gathered at Camp Guggenheim for the annual Intercollegiate Retreat.

Many think that in order to reach the young church, one needs modern pop music, candy, food, and as I like to put it “faith fluff.”

My rough definition of “faith fluff” is when the deep truths of the faith are watered down to more “digestible,” just-scratch-the-surface, teachings.

The reality is that young people can understand far more than we expect and in fact do NOT want the “buddy Jesus,” but rather they seek the deep, complex theology surrounding the person of Christ.

Father Leon Biernat, former Director of Vocations for the Diocese of Buffalo understands this and provided wonderful sessions during the retreat as the retreat leader that connected the book of Revelation to modern day struggles in the world.

Idolatry, lukewarmness, and sexual immorality  are some of the vices effecting our modern world. The idols of pornography and abortion are upheld and “worshiped.” The lukewarm idea of “tolerance” instead of calling others to a life of holiness is running rampant.

These vices are particularly present on college campuses. It is very difficult to live a Catholic life on modern college campuses and the ministry of Newman clubs is so needed today.

I pray nightly for my students to have the fortitude to stand strong in their faith amidst the ocean of secular temptations that bombard them every day.

During the retreat, the students proved their longing for authentic truth during a question and answer session in which hard questions were asked about the sacredness of the sacrament of marriage (eg why can’t I get married outside? Should I attend a wedding of Catholics outside of the Church? etc.)

The college students’ honesty amazes me every time I work with them. One student made the comment that she was proud to wear her faith on her sleeve, displaying her Catholic faith on her Facebook page, while others she knew in college subscribed to the “Church of Beyonce,” as she put it.

The retreat also included sacraments that contribute to the fullness of our faith, Mass, Confession, and the students even stayed up past midnight in order to worship our Lord in adoration of the Eucharist.

This time of participating in the sacraments was so life-giving that the students were already asking when the next retreat was before the weekend was even over.

Many dismiss the youth as too seeped in the selfish culture, not able to grasp the truths of our faith, but the reality is that the youth of today are the Church leaders of tomorrow.

They are those who will become our priests, deacons, sisters, teachers, parents and lay people.

I often think of the call of Jeremiah when reflecting on this: “But the Lord said to me, ‘Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you.” ~Jer.1:7.

Please remember to support your local youth and campus ministries. These young adults are the future Church and they seek the Truth. 

College Retreat College Retreat

Photo by Sue Law
College students from campuses across the diocese took part in the annual intercollegiate retreat held Sept. 26-28 at Camp Guggenheim in Saranac Lake.  The 18 collegians are shown with Father Timothy Canaan, diocesan director of campus ministry; Mary Skillan, campus minister in Plattsburgh; Amanda Conklin, campus minister in Canton, St. Joseph Sister Juliana Raymond, campus minister for Jefferson Community College in Watertown and Father Leon Biernat of Buffalo, retreat director.

Retreat leader Father Leon Beirnat, former vocations director in the Diocese of Buffalo, leads one of the sessions in the Guggenheim lounge.

 

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