At first of three regional youth retreats, participants learned God ‘made them for greatness’

It takes “deeds, not only words” to live as a disciple of Christ.

Madeline Herbes, 16, came to that revelation after reading the story about Mary of Bethany anointing the feet of Christ with expensive perfume in the Gospel of Mark. At the time, she and a small group of fellow teens were reading, praying, and meditating over the bible passage. It was part of a diocesan retreat for youths in grades 8 to 12 on Jan. 27 at St. Paul Inside the Walls in Madison.

“Mary of Bethany put her actions where her mouth was. That’s what Jesus values in us,” said Herbes. She is a parishioner of Christ the King in the New Vernon neighborhood of Harding Township and is a public high school student. “I try to be like Jesus each day by bringing others in and embracing them.”

Like most of the 40 teens at the retreat, Herbes will receive Confirmation this year. The day-long event was guided by the theme “What is Your Net Worth?” It explored questions such as, “How does society value these young people? How do they value themselves? How does God value them and add value to their lives? It was run by the Youth Ministry Office of the Diocese of Paterson.

In his presentation, John Cammarata, director of diocesan Youth Ministry, told the teens that social media values people who are attractive, have lots of followers, and are popular. That was in stark contrast to values teens offered up during his talk: loyalty, authenticity, and treating others well. He spoke on the Scripture story of Jesus calling Peter, Andrew, James, and John to follow him.

“They left their lives as fishermen because Jesus offered them something greater. You are called to be fishers of people, which is difficult. You’re not made for comfort. You’re made for greatness,” said Cammarata, also youth minister of St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Parsippany.

The Jan. 27 retreat in Morris County kicked off a series of three regional retreats for young people, one in each county of the diocese. A retreat will be held in Sussex County on Saturday, Feb. 24, at Good Shepherd Church in Andover and in Passaic County on Saturday, March 16, at St. Bonaventure Church in Paterson. The retreats run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

These retreats expand the annual retreat for Confirmation candidates that the Youth Ministry formerly held at St. Paul’s. They are open not only to those preparing for Confirmation but also to all youth in grades 8 to 12.

Cammarata is leading the retreats, assisted by the Diocesan Youth Leadership Team. Last Saturday’s retreat ended with a Mass celebrated by Father Paul Manning, diocesan vicar for evangelization.

“The retreat is here to help you better understand yourselves, the world, and how God feels about you so you ultimately can build a better, loving relationship with him,” Cammarata said.

The registration deadline is two weeks before each retreat. The cost is $35 per person, which includes lunch and program costs. To register or get more information, email John Cammarata at [email protected]/