Confirmandi Retreat 26-29 August 2017, English Sunday School, Fr. Mulders Catechetical Centre, Diocese of Sandakan

A religious youth retreat provides an opportunity for teens to get away from the day-to-day distractions and focus on spiritual matters. The teen years are the most spiritually active period in a young person’s life. Helping Catholic teens connect to God at a retreat might help them remain in the Church during their adult years.

This year’s 4-days/3-nights retreat took the English Sunday School teens into the timelessness of God. This retreat combines fun, team building activities, sessions with rich teaching, faith sharing, group discussion, connect to God through intimate prayer experiences, journaling and praise and worship. This retreat also allows teenagers to enter into the timelessness of God and see Christ in their past, know Him in the present, and follow Him into eternity.

With Bishop Julius Gitom’s (Bishop of the Diocese of Sandakan cum Rector of the St. Mary’s Parish) approval and blessing, the Sunday School (English) were able to manage and run the retreat this year at the Father Mulders’ Catechetical Centre. This retreat is a collaborative effort between the Sunday School (English) and Bishop Cornelius Sim of Brunei and his team of experienced facilitators, Jen, Jerlyn and Bridget (Aunty B).

Some parents were concerned whether they have made the right decisions in sending their children to the retreat and missing their tuition, extra class in school, and etc., but the amazing joy and transformed faces of their children at the end of the retreat said it all!