Encountering Christ

Today a bus load of seniors and juniors will head north to St. Methodius Retreat Center in Contoocook, NH (a new location for us) to spend two nights and two and a half days in an intense retreat experience known at Marist Youth Encounter Christ. These Encounters began in 1968 as an offshoot of the popular Cursillo Movement, which also still continues to flourish.
The Marist Brothers adopted the model developed especially for teens in Cleveland, and have utilized it with great success throughout the Marist United States. Encounters are held in Esopus, NY, Brownsville, TX, Miami, FL, Chicago, IL ( a slightly different version known as Kairos is used there) and now in Contoocook for Central students. Talks are given by students who have been preparing for several weeks, activities and small group discussions as well as prayer fill the days from morning till midnight. The effect has been profound over the years and students go deeper into their hearts, prompted by the speakers who share their stories and their Encounters with Christ, who is seen not as some distant figure, but in the faces and hearts of one another. A little bit of heaven is created and usually the students are reluctant to leave and return to their busy lives. A lot of what is acquired "sticks" and blossoms into service in the community and serving as retreat leaders for our other retreats for freshmen and sophomores...and on future Encounters. These retreats are at the heart of our mission, "to make Jesus known and loved", for that is exactly what happens. Our prayers, sacrifices and fastings will help this process. This is our "assignment" for these next two days.
Bro. Rene