Catholic Youth Conference Touches Lives

This weekend, our 15 year old Eric went off with our church's LifeTeen group for his first real retreat experience. I dropped him off early Friday morning and he boarded a bus to San Diego for the Steubenville San Diego youth conference. Our Confirmation program doesn't start until September, so none of Eric's friends were going on this particular trip. In fact, when I dropped him off in the parking lot, I don't think he knew a single person in the group. Although he didn't say it out loud, I could tell he wasn't feeling thrilled about the journey ahead.

Of course, I spent all weekend fretting as only moms can do. "OK, God," I prayed, "He's in your hands. Please keep him safe and let him fully experience this weekend." I've heard rave reviews of these conferences, and in fact I would love to have gone with him, but I knew this was his time. So instead, I stayed home and prayed for him.

When I pulled into the parking lot last night, I was nervous, hoping he'd had a good time. He looked exhausted, so I figured I'd get few answers to 99 questions I was ready to aim at him. Instead, I hugged him and offered him food (the key to any 15 year old football player's heart). I asked only, "Did you have a good time?" and then I listened. Eric was full of details about the weekend, which went wonderfully. It sounds as though they didn't sleep very much (back to the dorms at midnight, up in the morning by 6:00). His favorite part of the weekend: Eucharistic Adoration. His favorite speaker: Mark Hart. His only complaints were that some of the kids were goofing around during Mass, which was upsetting to him, and that the kids staying at San Diego State seem to have had better breakfast than those staying at UCSD. Those are complaints I can handle!

You know that feeling you have when you come home from a really great retreat? You've been through this intense experience that you can't quite describe. You know you're a changed person, and you are trying to figure out how to re-enter your "real world". You want to bottle the energy you felt on the retreat and drink it in when life gets frantic and God feels so far away. I know that Eric will be going through a bit of that this week. But for now, I'm thanking God for all of the good people who were involved in making this such a wonderful weekend for so many of our Catholic youth. For those who organized the event, the speakers, and especially the Youth ministers and chaperons who watched over our kids all weekend - Thank you!!