Saints & Heroes

From 20-23 July around 50 young people, the Immaculatine Sisters and 10 Capuchin friars gathered at the St John Bosco camp. This year’s theme “Saints & Heroes” allowed us to celebrate the lives of Capuchin saints and blesseds. Using many examples from the saints and blesseds the friars invited the young people to courageously push forward in the life of Christan virtues, assisted by the witness, teaching and prayers of the saints.

Eating, praying, dialoging, recreating

Over the weekend there was ample time for eating, praying, conversing and recreating together. The food was simple and very tasty, salted by lively table fellowship. The prayers were reflected by the simple and humble surroundings – the morning and evening prayer of the Church together, the rosary, time for being reconciled to one another through the sacrament of penance, intimacy with the Lord during adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and being strengthened and nourished by the celebration of the Mass. There was also ample time remaining for conversation, sport, board games, walks to the beach, and a campfire at night to push back the freezing Melbournian weather.

Being missionary

At the end of the time together there was also a sharing of the various ministries and activities that bring us together in the various cities we live in: Capuchin outreach in South Melbourne, various youth activites at South Melbourne, the Table of the poor in Newton, Adelaide that looks towards easing the isolation of the elderly and houseboud, the van ministry and Capuchin Young Adults activities in Leichhardt, and the ministry to the poor and homeless at South Brisbane.