Annual Diocesan Retreat

MADISON  During a special retreat on Sunday, Bishop Serratelli challenged about 70 Confirmation candidates in the Diocese — high-school-aged teens he will be confirming in their parishes in coming months — to “use their influence for good on one another” and live out Christ’s teachings in word and deed to “bring others to Jesus, who is the one savior of us all.”

On Jan. 14, Bishop Serratelli spoke to an enthusiastic group of Confirmation candidates from parishes throughout the Diocese, during a retreat from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at St. Paul Inside the Walls: the Diocesan Center for Evangelization at Bayley-Ellard here — his first appearance at this annual event. The Bishop answered many of the teen-agers’ questions about life and faith and served as main celebrant and homilist of a Mass that concluded the retreat. Fiat Ventures — a professional outreach that helps support Christian parishes and programs with creative ministries and media — led icebreakers, Eucharistic Adoration, talks on faith and prayer with Spirit-filled music.

“I’m looking forward to confirming all of you — to calling down the gift of the Holy Spirit. Your Confirmation will be a happy day — a Pentecost,” said Bishop Serratelli, who also that day, served as main celebrant and homilist for an 11 a.m. Mass with St. Paul’s Young Adults in the center’s chapel in the mansion.

Joseph DeGrandpre, 16, of St. Joseph Parish, Mendham, told The Beacon that “It felt good” to attend the retreat. “The retreat was a deep study of religion and gave me more insight about communication with my faith,” DeGrandpre said. “I will keep in mind to pray for something specific rather than something general like ‘peace in the world.’ For me, it will be more spiritually fulfilling,” he said.

Now in its fifth year, the Diocesan Confirmation retreat was designed for candidates, who cannot attend their parish’s retreat, or for parishes that are too small or have a number of candidates too low to hold their own retreats. St. Paul’s coordinated the event with the directors of religious education (DREs) from participating parishes and Fiat Ventures. The retreat was guided by a theme that the teens — including a few, who proclaimed readings and prayers, during the Mass with the Bishop — are “not too young to grow in their faith and bring others along,” said Jeff Beer, Fiat Ventures’ president and ministry director.

“God has been calling us to a relationship with him,” Jonathan Camiolo, director of BOLD Youth Ministry at Fiat Ventures, and pastoral associate at St. Elizabeth Parish, Wyckoff, in the Newark Archdiocese, told the teens in a talk about faith in the early afternoon. “Jesus gives us the chance to say, ‘yes.’ That’s our challenge — can we say ‘yes’? Is there something holding us back? We are here to do the work of God and make disciples. Will you give him your all? How can you say ‘yes’ to God in a real way today?” he asked the teens.

Before the closing Mass, Bishop Serratelli answered a few questions that some of the Confirmation candidates wrote on paper, which Fiat Ventures and St. Paul’s staffers collected earlier at lunch. To one of the questions, “What’s your favorite sacrament?” the Bishop answered, “The Eucharist.”

“The Eucharist is not a symbol. It’s Jesus’ Body and Blood. You can’t get closer to the Lord than when you receive the Eucharist in your heart. We become deeply united with Jesus, who unites us to the Father,” he said.

Bishop Serratelli next answered the question, “How do you become a saint?” by saying, “A saint does ordinary things with extraordinary love.” Also, he encouraged the teens to love God and love, serve and sacrifice for the people in their lives.

In answer to the question, “What is the easiest way to keep faith alive as a part of your daily life?” Bishop Serratelli told candidates, “Realize each day that God has loved you for all eternity and loves you today. Begin and end the day with God.” He also suggested that they read the Bible, pray every day and attend Sunday Mass.

The retreat started with icebreakers and activities to encourage the diverse group of candidates to get comfortable with each other. Vittoria Cook, also of Fiat Ventures, spoke about being their authentic selves — their whole selves whom God invites into a relationship with him.

The afternoon included Eucharistic Adoration with Father Pawel Tomczyk, diocesan director of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults and youth ministry and chaplain at William Paterson University, Wayne. Beer led prayers and reflections and sang and played guitar along with another musician, leading songs of worship. He invited the candidates to write letters to Jesus with pens and paper and place them in a basket on the altar.

“We don’t want you to leave here just a little bit changed. Jesus wants to transform us. He wants to shower his love upon us and open the floodgates in our hearts,” said Beer, before singing a refrain, “Let it rain.” “Even though you are young, Jesus is calling you. The Church needs you. In your Confirmation, Jesus is saying to you, ‘Now is the time. We expect great things from you,’ ” he said.

Allison Provinsal of Fiat Ventures reminded the teens God still loves them, even if they feel hurt or worthless; hurt others; and make bad decisions. “God made you on purpose — in your situation and in your family. You don’t have to do anything to gain his love,” she told the retreatants.

After the closing Mass, Alexis Elefante, 15, a student at Morris Catholic High School, Denville, and a parishioner of St. Joseph’s, Lincoln Park, called the retreat “inclusive, interactive and personal.”

“I learned more about my faith. It was in-depth,” said Elefante, the only candidate from her parish at the retreat. “The Bishop related to us as teens now,” she said.

Father Tomczyk said that the retreat “delivers a positive message” from St. Paul’s, including diocesan offices which helped coordinate the event.

“We want to support the parishes of the Diocese,” Father Tomczyk said. “It means a lot to have Bishop Serratelli here and it means a lot to him too. He wants to know and talk to our youth,” he said.