Teens, Fire, and the Holy Spirit

One night away at Camp Lawrence, complete with games, bonfire, gooey s’mores, scavenger hunt, Mass, and plenty of time to reflect on the sacrament of Confirmation.

Faith, firelight, and friends—does it get much better?

This year’s Confirmation Retreat was amazing! Yes—it was also educational and deeply Catholic (of course)…but would you believe it was actually fun too?

And because we take our surveys seriously here at SJE (don’t we?!?), we let the Confirmandi do the talking.

One young man shared that he enjoyed spending time with classmates “for probably one of the last times.” He said he especially appreciated learning more about the Mass and a talk on manhood, “I just thought I needed to hear something like that.”

Of course, not everything was perfect—some teens thought there was too much walking, and some weren’t thrilled about all the food options. But those little complaints were easily outweighed by the compliments! Several thought the food was actually delicious (yes, teenagers can enjoy camp food!), and at least two students wished the retreat could have lasted longer because they were having so much fun with friends.

What They Learned

Of course, it wasn’t all food and games. The retreat helped our teens dive deeper into Confirmation itself:

• Strengthening the Gifts of the Spirit – As they discovered, we don’t receive the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit at Confirmation—we already have them from Baptism! Confirmation strengthens those gifts, equipping us to “fight the good fight” and share the faith. Just think of the apostles: huddled in fear in the Upper Room, but once the Holy Spirit came, they were ready to give their lives for Christ.

• Identity and Vocation – Talks on genuine femininity and authentic masculinity sparked great conversation. One young woman loved being reminded that “even when things are tough, you can always talk to God.” Another said she appreciated learning that women are meant to stand side by side with men. And one young man summed it up with power: “Confirmation makes us God’s warriors, leading us to take over the fight with the devil and evangelize more people.”

  
  

The Teen Wish List

Naturally, teens are still teens. “Raise-the-roof” praise music and chicken strips instead of hotdogs made their way onto next year’s wish list. Some even asked for more time in the chapel—a pretty beautiful request if you ask us.

What’s Next

This vibrant group of 51 Confirmandi will be receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation at the 4:30pm Mass on Saturday, September 20. Please keep them in your prayers as they prepare for this incredible milestone of faith.

Want to do something extra special for them? Join us in praying a novena for our students. Begin now and pray for nine days---that will help give them an amazing start to their new life in the Church! You can find the novena here: 👉 Confirmation Novena Prayer