Week of
July 19, 2000
Inside the Register
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Youth encounter Christ in the Holy Eucharist
By Roxanne King
Nearly 2,000 teens attending the "Steubenville of the Rockies" retreat held in an airplane museum at the Lowry campus July 14-16, soared and tasted heaven, without ever leaving the ground.
They were flying high on Christ.
Gathered in the "Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum," the teens rocked to energetic music, were inspired by dynamic speakers and were moved by profound experiences of prayer as they celebrated the Eucharistic theme "Taste of Heaven."
Youth traveled from nine states and Canada to attend the popular event, which was co-sponsored by the archdiocesan Office of Youth, Young Adult and Campus Ministry and the Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio.
Archbishop Charles Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., concelebrated the closing Mass Sunday morning with numerous other priests. Reflecting on the day's Scripture readings, which included a reading from one of the prophets, the archbishop explained that the Biblical definition for a prophet is a person who speaks on behalf of others.
"God wants you to be prophets in your own community, to your friends and your family," he said. "Speak on behalf of the unborn, the aged and immigrants who have no voice."
Archbishop Chaput challenged the youth to counter the consumerist, self-indulgent messages "shouted loudly" by MTV and other media, as well as sexual temptations, abortion, and the growing euthanasia and assisted suicide movements, with the Gospel message.
"To be a Christian is to be engaged in combat with the devil," the archbishop said. "Evil exists in the world."
He urged the youth to grow closer to Christ through daily prayer, Scripture reading and participation in the sacraments, especially Confession and Communion, and to develop a spirit of poverty by relying on God's providence.
Noting that Christ sent his apostles out "two by two" to preach conversion, which the archbishop explained means "a changed way of life," he encouraged the youth to find support for their faith as they go out to do the same.
"None of us can be God's prophets alone, we need the support of friends," Archbishop Chaput said. "Jesus asks us to be His healing presence in the world. To bring His healing love and forgiveness and to make it His world."
To nourish and sustain us in that mission, Christ gives us the gift of His body and blood in the Eucharist, the archbishop said.
Coming to know and love Christ more intimately through Eucharistic Adoration was the most powerful experience of the weekend, participants said.
"It was awesome," said Gisele Forseille, 15, of Saskatchewan, Canada. "It was really touching, I was crying. I could just feel God's love, His presence."
"You could feel God there and you knew a hundred percent that He's real," said Forseille's friend, fellow Canadian Sara Ogrodnick, 16. One of about 300 teens who answered a vocations call after the closing Mass to receive a special blessing, Ogrodnick said, "(The retreat) really changed my life. I never thought in a million years that I'd be a religious sister and now I'm considering it."
Mike Ormond, 15, of Brigham City, Utah, said Eucharistic Adoration helped him to feel "acceptance by God."
Worshipping with others from across the nation who share the same faith was invigorating for Ormond's sister Jenn, 17, who expressed feeling isolated in predominately Mormon Utah.
"To be with a lot of Catholics who love God and the Blessed Mother was really neat," she said. "The energy everyone had and how on fire they were - you could feel the Holy Spirit moving through others. I walked away last year so strengthened and the same thing this year, just a lot closer to God."
The conference included a concert by the popular Christian group Crispin and surprise performances by Tony Melendez and 15-year-old Rachel Lampa of Louisville. Throughout the weekend, musicians Patrick and Christi Smith of St. Peter's Church in Greeley and Steve Angrisano kept the teens clapping and dancing.
Speakers included dynamic preacher and musician Father Stan Fortuna, C.F.R., youth chaplain Father Joe Lehman, T.O.R., national Catholic speaker Bob Schrimpf, Archdiocese of Denver youth office director Bob Sherwin, author Molly Kelly, national Catholic speaker Karen Reynolds, youth minister Jim Murphy, religion teacher Allen Wright, and Bishop Machebeuf High School teacher David Pipp.
"Because the Holy Father asked for this Jubilee Year to be an `intensely Eucharistic' year, the theme was on the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist and how we celebrate that as Catholics and how we live it," Sherwin said. "This conference shows the energy and love that young people have for God, the Church and the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist."
"It was so powerful there's not words to express it," said Mike Harry, 17, of Gillette, Wyo. "Christ was everywhere the whole weekend."
This was the third year the conference was offered in the archdiocese. Originating at Franciscan University in 1976, they are now offered in seven other states. Last year, they attracted 21,000 high school youth. This year, the number is expected to top 25,000.