By Kaitlyn O’Leary
iPods, UGGs and video games are at the top of many teens’ Christmas lists this year, but have parents been choosing what to buy their teens based on trends that will go out of style? Or a gift that has a long lasting effect on their teens’ faith and lives? A great gift to give your Catholic teen this Christmas is the opportunity to experience a weekend retreat.
The Diocese of Davenport offers a variety of retreats that high school Catholics can attend. Quest is a weekend retreat for freshmen and sophomores in high school that helps them to focus on loving themselves, loving others and loving God. It is a great opportunity to get away from their crazy lives, meet new teens in the diocese, talk about important issues and, most importantly, have a great time. The Quest retreats for youths in grades nine and 10 will be held Jan. 8-9 at Our Lady of Lourdes in Bettendorf and March 26-27 at St. Mary’s in Grinnell.
COR (Christ in Others Retreat) is for sophomores, juniors and seniors in high school. COR is a weekend full of personal reflection about relationships with family and other people in our lives. It is a faith-filled experience of fun and friendship. COR retreats will be held Jan. 21-23 at Our Lady of Victory in Davenport, March 11-13 at St. Joseph in DeWitt and March 25-27 at Holy Trinity Parish in Keota.
TEC (Teens Encounter Christ) is a weekend-long retreat in the summer that is offered to juniors and seniors in high school. This is an intense, faith-filled weekend that teens have a great time participating in. TEC this year will be held Feb. 19-21 at Assumption High School in Davenport.
When you are deciding whether to buy your teen a $50 pair of jeans or a video game, consider buying him/her a retreat instead. It is a long-lasting gift and a great way for your teen to express his or her faith in a fun way. If you have any further questions, log on to www.davenportyouth.org or contact your youth minister.
(O’Leary is a member of the Diocesan Youth Ministry Committee, or DYMC, and a member of St. Joseph Parish in DeWitt).
