In mid June, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish hosted a retreat for young adults, facilitated by Charis Ministries NYC Retreat Team. The theme was ‘God, Teach Me to Seek You.’ It was a one day retreat open to young professionals, giving them an opportunity to learn ways to seek God in their daily life and build a community of faith among their peers, as well as grow in prayer.

The following is a reflection from some of the retreatants…

On Saturday, June 15th, I gathered to share and grow in my Catholic faith for the “Teach Me To Seek You Young Adult Retreat” at my home parish, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church. I was very optimistic to attend and contribute especially because this retreat was facilitated by the Charis NYC Retreat Team. These same facilitators had organized the “Spirit at Work Retreat” in May 2018 that I had also attended at the Loyola Jesuit Center in Morristown, NJ. I had thoroughly enjoyed and benefited from that previous retreat. Therefore, I focused my religious energy and was excited to work to further explore effective ways to “seek and find God in prayer and in all aspects of my life.

Facilitators Dave and Lawrence first helped guide myself and the other retreatants in praying to God about the challenging areas of our lives. Their handout, “Seeking God Through Prayer and Desire, Praying As You Go” was a great reference. In my opinion, this was particularly effective because, although it is difficult to see past the present moments during such difficult circumstances, we must consult God in prayer for help and direction. This method helped me because I currently want to religiously confront my concerns or worries as a young Catholic adult through praying to God for help. Another beneficial way Dave and Lawrence helped me was posing the questions “How would I like to pray?” and “What do I desire or envision my relationship with God to be?” Again, by directing these questions towards my religious path, that helped me focus on individual ways I can further build a positive relationship with Him.

Furthermore, by following along with Dave and Lawrence’s handout, they suggested returning to specific prayers that have guided me through previous challenging times. This helped remind me of prayers to St. Jude Thaddeus and St. Anthony, as well as favorite Old and New Testament verses. In addition, the Twenty-Third Psalm and Matthew 11:28 were two other comforting passages that I brought up in one of our final group discussions.

In conclusion, I benefited greatly from the “Teach Me To Seek You” Young Adult Retreat. As a young Catholic adult, I am definitely looking forward to more events and activities being held at St. Elizabeth’s Church for Young Adults. I hope to be able to contribute to these functions and bring together more young adults from our parish. It really was a great location to hold our retreat at a religious site so central and familiar to the Young Adults of St. Elizabeth’s Church.

Thank you to Shannon Jones and Father Stan for organizing such a great event!

–Matthew Faecher

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The Young Adult Retreat was a quiet and thoughtful experience that allowed us to reflect on and discuss God’s presence in our lives. Freedom was one of the defining themes of the retreat, and it became a safe space for us to freely explore our relationships with God and each other through prayer, talks from the retreat leaders, and group discussion. Personally, it became a humble and meaningful experience that allowed me some time away from my busy schedule in order to reconnect with God, and it reminded me of all the ways that I can find Him within my life and within others.

~David Rodriguez Lenge

Thank you to the Charis Ministry Team for making this retreat possible. We hope to provide more opportunities for our young adults to come together to continue to grow their faith and meet others who have similar  goals.