Young adult diocesan retreat brings forward the Catholic faith

IC photo/Laura Vallejo

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The young adults at the retreat form a line and, with just sign language, try to organize themselves by their birthdates. The games were part of the day, which also included talks, prayer, and worship.

MIDVALE — Dozens of Catholic young adults from throughout Utah and beyond attended the May 27 retreat at Saint Therese of the Child Jesus Parish in Midvale. The retreat was organized by Junuee Castro, director of the Diocese of Salt Lake City Office of Youth and Young Adults.

The daylong retreat in Spanish, with the theme “With an Anchor, Let’s Bring Forward our Faith,” was filled with presentations, games, interactions, prayers, reflections, a Holy Hour, the Sacrament of Confession and blessings.

Fr. Marcos Ramos, OP, a Dominican friar of the Province of St. Martin de Porres and a resource person from the Congar Institute, was the retreat leader.

“This is the time for them to get ready; they are the ones that are and will be in charge of the matters in our Church,” Fr. Ramos said. “They are the ones who are living the realities of the world and they are called to be witnesses and to give their example. They need to spread the message of the Good News,” the friar said.

 Those who attended the retreat came for various reasons. “I went to a Congress some months ago and saw a flyer of this retreat,” said Janet Mendes, who drove from Elko, Nev., for the event. “I just love to attend to retreats, I have the need; where I live it’s a very small town and we don’t have retreats over there.”

The retreat was the first that Lily Chun, a parishioner of St. Ann in Salt Lake City, had ever attended, she said.

“I was curious about this. ... I don’t have a car so I thought I was not going to come, but when I called Junuee, she offered me a ride, so now I feel awesome and I am very happy to have been able to learn and to be here today,” Chun said.

 This was the first of two retreats that Castro has prepared for Young Adults, the second, which will be in English, is scheduled for July 15. For information, contact Castro at 801-456-9313 or junuee.castro@dioslc.org.