Inspired youth retreat held on Feast of Immaculate Conception

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Twenty-seven members of the Holy Name of Jesus Church youth groups gathered on Dec. 8 for a time of a recollection and retreat on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. The retreat master was the Rev. Deacon Cornelius O. Apili, S.J. who selected the theme “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth.” (Eccl. 12:1). Drawing from all three of the communities that make up Holy Name of Jesus Church, the unity of those present was expressed in their goal of a deeper knowledge of God and His love for them. “I had an amazing encounter with the youth of The Church of The Holy Name Of Jesus,” said Deacon Cornelius. “Their profound experience of God’s presence in their encounter with one another was mind blowing. They recognized God’s presence in everything around them and in their daily experiences. It absolutely reaffirms my deep sense of why Jesus would have asked his disciples not to prevent the children from coming to him because the kingdom of heaven belongs to them. Our experience and time together not only confirms the presence of the Holy Spirit in our midst, but also reaffirms why the early Church cherished coming together as a community to discuss the scripture.”