St. Teresa's Transition

Our next door neighbours St. Teresa's Primary School were here on Monday and Tuesday of last week for their second retreat of the year. The last time we were thinking and talking about Confirmation and this time our focus was on the transition from primary to post-primary school. It's a time of mixed emotions. The P7s wrote some of their worries down on a poster. You can see them below.

It's quite normal to worry slightly when you are leaving a place that is familiar to you, to move on to a whole new experience. A lot of the P7s could remember the feeling of worry they had when they started primary school. Most of them could even remember their first day.

When we are making a new start we have hopes and dreams. Some of the hopes of the P7s are written below.

God is with us in all our hopes and dreams and in all our worries and fears. Here are some of the lovely prayers that were written by the groups.

Dear God,

Help the people who are doing exams or any tests that you may watch

over them and inspire them to do their best.

Lord hear us.

Lord,

Let us pray for the starving and homeless.

May you watch over them and provide for them in times of need.

Lord hear us.

We pray for children that are moving schools.
Please watch over them and keep them safe in their times of need.
Lord hear us.

Dear God,
May you keep everyone safe and sound
and make sure everyone is not suffering pain and agony.

Lord hear us.

Lord,

Help to stop deforestation and make the world a better place to live in.

Lord hear us.

Lord,

We pray for children around the world for peace and hope and healing.

Lord hear us.

Dear God,

We pray for the poor people so that they can

get a home and all new furniture in it.

Lord hear us.

Dear God,

We pray for all those sick and elderly that they make it

through the night and have someone by their bedside always.

Lord hear us.

Dear God,

May we pray for the people who are doing exams, may they keep calm.

And also for the primary 7s who will receive the results of their schools.

May they get the school of their choice and

may they be happy if they don't get the school of their choice.

Lord hear us.

The lovely focus below represents the sea, the sand, the grass and the sky and all the footprints and cards that were made during the day represent how we are all part of God's wonderful creation.

The focus below represents the great thing we can do when we work together as a TEAM!

All the primary 7s who have been here in the centre this year will have found out at the weekend what schools they will be attending in September.  We wish them all the very best for the years ahead. May they embrace the wonderful opportunities that await them in the schools they go to and remember to let their light shine!

All Ireland Youth Retreat Network Annual Gathering 2010

The All Ireland Youth Retreat Network is a collection of Retreat Teams from all over Ireland, who meet together twice a year to support one another through resource sharing, friendship and prayer. This year one of our fellow Lasallian teams was hosting the event in their Pastoral Centre in Castletown, Co. Laois. The theme of this year's gathering was "Seeing God in Everything and Everything in God."

The teams represented this year were:
Benildus De La Salle Pastoral Centre, Kilmacud, Dublin
Castletown De La Salle Pastoral Centre, Castletown (Hosting)
Clonard Youth Ministry Team, Belfast
Cloyne Diocesan Youth Ministry, Cork
De La Salle Pastoral Centre, Belfast (Us)
I.O.S.A.S. Centre, Donegal
Mount Sion, Waterford
Parmenie De La Salle Pastoral Centre, Downpatrick
Ruah Retreat Team, Dublin

Our team and the Clonard team led the opening prayer. We listened to a reading from Scripture Philippians 1:3-11. We reflected on all the people who helped to form us in our faith and all the people that we thank God for in our lives. We wrote their names on little cards which we tied to the arch. The arch remained in situ for the duration of the gathering.

The Benildus Team led us in our morning prayer on Tuesday. The theme was "Today You Have Time." And it was lovely to have time, especially at this particularly busy time of year!

Afterwards Sr. Anne Hartnett C.P. shared some of her thoughts with us on the new cosmology and the emergent universe. She emphasised the connectedness of all living things and the complexity of our interdependence and what this means for us as Christians.

Afterwards we went out to the beautiful Slieve Blooms to immerse ourselves in the beauty of God's creation. This was organised by the Castletown Team, who placed little reflections all along the way to remind us to pause and be aware of the earth under our feet, of the soil and the microbes and insects which help to create it, of the flowers and the plants, of the rock, of the birds and animals, of the water, of our ancestors who lived on the land before us.

Each person walked through this beautiful forest alone!

We kept our eyes open for the little reflections tied to trees and bushes along the way

We gave ourselves the time to appreciate the beauty all around us.

When we arrived at the summit there was a beautiful waterfall waiting for us.

We took time to journal and then we walked back together as a group.

This dog accompanied us on our journey and was looking forward to the picnic as much as we were.

It was lovely after our walk to share some food together and have a bit of craic.

Later on that evening we played a few games, like charades.

We had a bit of a sing song too.

The next morning we gathered for a morning prayer led by the Parmenie Team. Afterwards we went into the conference room for a talk from Mrs. Vera McHugh who has worked in Youth Ministry, Journalism and Chaplaincy.

The three days had flown in. We were organising our September meeting and looking at the dates for the next May meeting.

Hopefully our friends from, Ballintubber Abbey, Connect Retreats Ireland, Esker Retreat Centre Athenry, Galway Youth Retreats and Scala Cork will be able to attend the next gathering. A big shout out to all of ye! We missed you and hope you are all well.

Our gathering drew to a close with a celebration of the Eucharist. We brought the arch into the chapel so that all the people we were remembering in prayer over the three days were represented. It was a grace-filled time.

Thank you to the Castletown team, who went above and beyond the call of duty in the welcome and hospitality they extended to us, abundantly. Thank you to everyone who was there.

"I thank my God each time I think of you, and when I pray for you, I pray with joy!"

Philippians 1:3-4