January 7, 2008

To:       Parents of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Teens

From:  Mary Brenner and Youth Group Staff

Re:      Youth Group Retreat, etc.

The annual Youth Group Retreat will be held at Camp Gretna Glen in Lebanon County on February 15 to 17.   It is an event that is eagerly anticipated by both members and staff of the Youth Group.  This year's Retreat is entitled, "Eyes to See" and is about finding God in nature and all of creation.  Retreats have been a very positive and spiritual experience for our teens, and we ask that you encourage your son and/or daughter to attend.

• The Retreat begins on Friday evening and concludes Sunday afternoon with a Mass in St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church with Fr. Waldron.  The exact times will be on your permission slips. With few exceptions, retreatants must stay for the entire retreat, for their own benefit and the benefit of others.

• All meals are provided by Camp Gretna Glen, and we bring ample snack food.  No one goes away hungry!

• Except for dining, all activities take place at the Retreat Lodge.  Boys sleep in one area of the lodge in rooms with four bunkbeds.  The girls sleep on the second floor.  There are separate bathrooms with showers.  Adult chaperones are constantly monitoring activity. 

• The grounds at Gretna Glen are beautiful.  Acres of hills, woods, streams and trails.  We will be taking full advantage of the camp during our outside time.  Retreatants should pack very warm clothing and hiking boots.

• Saturday evening is movie time.  We will select a movie that is both relevant to the theme of the retreat and interesting to the teens. Of course, the rating will be appropriate for this age group.  Please ask if you have any concerns.

• The Retreat is led by a group of devoted Juniors and Seniors.  They present the talks and head the small table groups.

• There will be some free time built into the schedule for rest, relaxation and socializing.  However, the focus of the Retreat and its purpose is to give the teens a very prayerful, spiritual, renewing experience.

• Here are some comments made by past Retreatants to share with your teen:

"Thank you for a wonderful retreat! Every  year they are different and interesting and fun."

"I feel so much closer to God.  This was wonderful."

"The retreat helped me to speak to God and find him in all aspects of my life."

"Thank you sooo much for the retreat.  I finally feel that I am well on my way to being the person I want to be...the one in touch with God. This year in Youth Group has truly awakened me inside."

"I will take the memories and amazing experiences with me for the rest of my life.  Thank you for opening my eyes to God and His teachings."

If you have any questions regarding the retreat that have not been covered by the memo, please don't hesitate to call Mary at 737-7671.  We look forward to having your son and/or daughter be a part of this life-changing experience.

Please have your teen sign up as soon as possible so we can get a good idea of how many retreatants to plan for!

                                                Other upcoming items of interest

We'll be selling pretzel sandwiches on Jan. 12-13 after all the Masses.

Our next two regular meetings will be Jan. 13 & Jan. 27 from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. in the Parish Center.

The Coordinators of the Spaghetti Dinner are looking for teens to wait tables on Saturday, January 19, after the 5:30 p.m. Mass. Call Mary or Paige Fletcher (697-6094) if you're interested in volunteering.  (Violinists are also encouraged to apply!)

We will NOT be taking our annual trip to the March for Life in Washington, D.C. on Monday, January 22. However, we will be participating in the Harrisburg Respect Life Mass at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament at 8:30 on January 19, followed by Rosary at the Hillcrest Clinic on Front Street.  Call the CCD office if you would like to take part in this project.

As part of our on-going World Religions study, we will be attending the Mormon church in Mechanicsburg on Sunday, Feb 10 at 8:30 a.m. and return for the 11:00 a.m. Mass.

The Youth Group will be sponsoring the Labyrinth for Lent on Sunday, Feb. 10 in the Parish Center from 2-7 p.m. The entire parish in encouraged to experience this prayerful journey.

Sincerely,