Cathedral Center

"GOD AND I ...

FRIENDS FOREVER"

Children's Lenten Retreat

Cathedral Center of St. Paul, Echo Park California, March 22-24, 2002

Luke 18: 16-17

But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdome of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kngdom of God like a little child will never enter it."

Check-In and Orientation

On March 22-24 HTSB youth ages 4 to 14 gathered for a fun filled lenten retreat at the cathedral center of St. Paul in Echo Park.  22 children and 15 facilitators/chaperones from HTSB began the activity filled weekend Friday night.  After check-in, orientation and introductions the kids wrote a community agreement in which they (with some help from the cathedral staff and facilitators) established the rules and the associated punishment for violations for the weekend.  No toys, no bad words, no horseplay in the hallways, no rough play, etc. and they all agreed on a three strikes rule with a twenty minute timeout as punishment.  We are happy to report that no one got three strikes all week end although I think there were a few with one or two strikes!  

Friday Night Festivities

Sister Virginia Clare led the children in telling the story of Jesus and the Children where we learn how much Jesus cared and loves all the children of the world.  And we sang Jesus Loves Me and Jesus Loves the Little Children.  We then broke up into groups and did workshop I, Lenten Cross making.  The kids got to make an embroidered purple (Lenten) cross for themselves and others at home.  After another story about Jesus and Bartimaeus where we learned how Jesus healed the blind man, we gathered for nighttime prayers and watched a movie about St. Patrick and then the kids went to bed.   The  facilitators however still had work to do, some additional planning and preparation in one of the many conference rooms.   

Saturday Festivities, the Big Day

Although most of the children were awake before the facilitators were ready, we pretended they were still asleep and awoke the children Saturday morning with lots of loud singing. Rise and Shine and give God the Glory Glory! Children of the Lord.  After some other surprises, we gathered for morning exercise.  Not exactly aerobics but we got a little exercise with Father Abraham. Right Arm, Left Arm, Right Foot, Left Foot, Chin Up (& Down), Turn Around!  It is far more difficult than it looks.  We also learned an Illacano version with simulated Gongza.  

Breakfast by Cecilio and KG at Julian of Norwich. Sit down Dean!..

After breakfast by Cecilio ond KG, we got a quick tour of the cathedral center from one of our own HTSB parishioners Anilin Collado. We got to see most of the meeting rooms, met some of the cathedral center staff and with instruction not to touch anything, we even got to see Bishop Talton's and Bishop Bruno's offices. At the conclusion of the tour we gathered in the main sanctuary and heard a story from Dale Basingat about Zacchaeus.  Zacchaeus was a wee little man, a wee little man was he
He climbed up in a sycamore tree for the Lord he wanted to see.
And as the Savior passed on by, he looked up in the tree
and he said,  Zacchaeus, You Come Down!
For I'm Going to your house today, for I'm going to your house today.

Sr. Clare teaching about prayer.   Sit down Daniel!..

Workshop II was the Anglican rosary where we all learned A.C.T.S. and got to make an Anglican rosary for ourselves. 

A Adoration (Dear Heavenly Father, Hallowed be thy Name)
C Contrition (I am sorry for throwing Joshua's Shoe in the Lake)
T Thanksgiving (Thank you Lord for our Family and Fiends)
S Supplication (Lord, please Bless all those who were not able to be with us)

This prayer group meeting was one of the few quiet moments all weekend!

We all gathered in one of the cathedral sanctuaries and learned one of the ways to use the rosary to pray.  It was one of the few quiet moments all weekend.  The children were able to apply the lesson from earlier and pray as a group in Adoration of God, saying sorry, asking for forgiveness for the things we should not have done, and committing to do better, Contrition, praising God in Thanksgiving for all the blessings in our life, and finally praying for others, Supplication. 

Whisper a prayer in the morning. Whisper a prayer at noo-oo-oon. Whisper a pryer in the evening, To kee-ee-eep your heart in tune.
God answers prayer in the morning. God answers prayer at noo-oo-oon. God answers pryer in the evening. He'll kee-ee-eep your heart in tune.

After an excellent lunch in the park by our ever diligent hard working cooks, Cecilio and KG we gathered for Workshop III, Stations of the Cross.  The children broke up into groups with the youngest coloring artwork for each of the stations, the middle age group writing prayers for each station and the oldest group interpreting each station of the cross. 

Turn left, no right, faster, slow down, watch out for the dead duck!

Then while all of us kids went boating on the lake, some of the facilitators compiled the stations-of-the-cross work that the children did and posted their work at fifteen locations around the park and cathedral area.  I am sure that the boating was one of the highlights for most of the children.  As many of you already know, some of us got to see a dead duck.  After boating and a little shave ice, the children gathered to walk the stations of the cross.  For some reason the weather turned colder and windier as we walked the stations.  Perhaps appropriate to the occasion, some of us suffered a little bit in the cold as we went from one station to the next and read what the children had prepared for each station.   

Cold and tired (as least some of us) we gathered for workshop IV near the Atrium.  The children divided into groups at the resource center and the Mary Magdalene meeting room for a little more learning and arts and crafts.  Some met the Good Shepherd while others learned about Liturgical Colors and Signs and Symbols.  Some also made place mats for the upcoming dinner.  

Once again Cecilio and KG came through with a delicious spaghetti dinner in the Great Hall.  Not quite formal but nearly all 37 of us and a few guests were able to gather around the same table for dinner. After dinner we moved on to one of the highlights, workshop V, The Washing of the Feet.

This began with a story about when Jesus taught the apostles by example, washing their feet.  Then each of the children also learned by example washing someone else's feet as well as getting their feet washed by one of the other disciples.  This workshop continued with a very nice service and agape feast lead by Bishop Zabala like the last Supper.

Some of the young ones and the old ones were falling asleep but we were not done yet.  Next came a time of reflection and sharing.  For this the children were divided up into groups according to a survey they had taken earlier in which, among other things they picked a favorite profession from among Musician, Actor, Artist or Other.  The Musicians gathered to prepare a musical, the artists gathered to prepare a painting, and the Actors prepared a drama about the washing of the feet and the last supper.  Those who picked other were on their own to prepare whatever they wanted to share. The presentations were of course wonderfully prepared by all the participants.  The musicians were the largest group. They called themselves the Musical Apostles and they prepared a short but very creative musical depicting various events throughout holy week culminating with the crucifixion of Christ.  The actors dramatized the last supper and artists prepared a painting.  Ashley and Giovanne (they picked other) prepared homilies about the washing of the feet and last supper.  After a candle ceremony singing This Little Light of Mine, and closing prayer we finally returned to our rooms and went right to sleep.    

Sunday's schedule was a little more relaxed.  After breakfast, a few activities, a story about Jesus the King and a little more singing we headed for the Palm Sunday service in Alhambra.  Whew!

THE END!

Credits:

Stories from the Word of God:

• Jesus and the Children

• Jesus and Bartimaeus

• Jesus and Zacchaeus

• Jesus Last Passover

• Jesus the King

Traditional Songs

• Jesus Loves Me This I Know

• Jesus Loves the Little Children/Dancing Rainbows

• Arise and Shine

• Father Abraham (English and Illocano)

• Whisper A Prayer

• Zacchaeus was a wee little man

• My God is so Great

• Kumbayah My Lord

• Rejoice in the Lord Always

• We Come to your Table

• This little Light of Mine

Original Songs by the Musical Apostles

• Roman Soldiers Come

• Scrub Scrub Scrub a dub

• Everbody Passing Wine, Everbody Passing Bread

• W'ere Gonna Chain You Up

• I've Been Walkin on the Hill

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