On Wednesday February 16^th, 2011 Gr. 9 students enrolled in Religion for second semester attended a full day Retreat at St. John’s Catholic Church hosted by Positive Gear. It was a wonderful day filled with activities and spiritual nourishment. The day began with students gathering in the Church hall for some early morning ice breakers. There was a buzz of excitement as students shared a laugh or two and waited to see what the Retreat had in store for them.

            At roughly 10am students silently made their way to the Church and were led in a teaching Mass by Fr. Obinna. The Mass was a terrific learning tool, as students were able to have a conversation with Fr. Obinna as he explained different parts of the Mass and the reasons behind the rituals. Many students voiced that it was one of the most informative parts of the day! Yes, believe it! The Mass was a hit for our Gr. 9 youth at Neil McNeil.

            After a filling lunch, the afternoon was filled with ice breakers and wonderful testimonies from our presenters Michael Masci and James Costa. The message was that it was never too late to make a change and that wrongs could be righted with reflection, prayer and positive actions. Both presenters also lead students in an understanding of what it meant to grow spiritually, in community, and not in isolation; it was a perfect way to build brotherhood and for students to work on becoming servant disciples.

            The Retreat was a positive experience for students. It was a day for students to gather and reflect, taking a few moments to understand that their faith journey was not in isolation but within a brotherhood. This message was reflected perfectly and summed up by Jesus when he said “I tell you solemnly, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me”.

Photos courtesy of Mark Musters - Gr. 9 student.