 Annie Harton, left, and Katrina McKinley of Holy Spirit, Fishers, join in the entrance song at Mass on Saturday morning. (Photos by Bob Nichols) |
 Hundreds of youth from across Northcentral Indiana and beyond share in this year’s 10th annual “Destination Jesus” retreat. |
 Adam Willis of St. Joan of Arc, Kokomo, prays before the Blessed Sacrament early Sunday morning. |
 Deacon Jack Weldon, a seminarian of the Local Church, exposes the Blessed Sacrament for adoration during the retreat at Blessed Theodore Guerin High School, Noblesville. |
 Father Stan Fortuna, CFR, was one of the featured speakers for the weekend, which focused on the theme “Out of the Jungle.” |
 Iris Schwarz of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Carmel, holds a candle while praying the “International Rosary.” |
 James Kennerly of St. Joan of Arc, Kokomo, and Steph Polei of All Saints, Logansport, pray the Our Father during Mass on Saturday morning. |
 Van Huynh of All Saints, Logansport, laughs during a skit presented at the retreat. |
 “We as Christians are called to be set apart. People need to know we’re different,” guest speaker Matt Smith tells “Destination Jesus” participants. |
 Noah Demerly of St. Thomas Aquinas, West Lafayette, left, and Ryan Cramer of St. Lawrence, Lafayette, join the singing during the weekend retreat. |
By Lisa L. Wilson
NOBLESVILLE — More than 850 youth of the Local Church and beyond gathered at Blessed Theodore Guerin High School Feb. 18-20 to experience “Destination Jesus.”
The theme of the 10th annual high-school retreat, “Out of the Jungle,” asked teens to examine what it means to be “in the world, but not of the world,” and addressed the challenges young people face in today’s secular culture.
“These kids are watching television every day, and they are told ‘This is what you need, this is what you want, and this is what you have to have to make you happy,’” said Kayser Swidan, a “Destination Jesus” organizer and music minister. “As they start hearing the speakers, and go to Mass and hear the Word of God, and as they meet face to face with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, they are reminded that there is a higher being who loves them so much; more than any of these things or these experiences can ever give them.”
The main focus of “Destination Jesus” is Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, Mr. Swidan said.
“We keep the Blessed Sacrament exposed as much as possible. Our goal is to promote the Eucharistic aspect of our faith; we want the kids to know Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament,” he said.
It is this dimension that sets “Destination Jesus” apart from other retreats, Mr. Swidan said. It is also why he believes the retreat has attracted more and more youth each year, he said.
Begun in 1995, “Destination Jesus” attracted about 250 youth in its first year. Since that time, the number of youth attending the retreat has continued to grow, so much so that Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, where the retreat has been held for the past nine years, could not accommodate the number of youth desiring to be a part of the weekend, he said.
“It broke our hearts to have to place kids who really wanted to be a part of this retreat on a waiting list,” Mr. Swidan said. “We didn’t have to do that this year.”
Jonathan Chamblee, a youth minister and retreat organizer from Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, said that the space at Blessed Theodore Guerin High School became available, and the retreat organizers felt blessed to be allowed the opportunity to hold the retreat there.
“We were able to accommodate the largest number of youth ever,” he said. “We also have plenty of room to grow from here.”
Mr. Chamblee offered his thoughts about the growth of “Destination Jesus.”
“The kids really respond to the depth; they realize that it is something that requires commitment and responsibility and, ultimately, that it’s something worth living for,” he said. “It makes their faith come alive.”
The goal is to allow the youth to have a personal Eucharistic encounter with Christ, Mr. Chamblee said.
“There are many elements we use to prepare the youth for that encounter. We have good, youth- friendly, praise-worthy music; professional speakers to engage and challenge the youth; the Blessed Sacrament is exposed for the bulk of the weekend; we offer opportunities for the sacrament of reconciliation, and we have a dramatic skit. Those components combine to get the kids ready for their personal en-counter during the Eucharistic procession,” he said.
Speakers for the weekend included Father Stan Fortuna, CFR, and Matt Smith, of MTV “Real World” fame.
In his talk, Mr. Smith spoke to youth about his experience in the “real world” as a member of the cast of MTV’s popular reality television series “The Real World.”
As a cast member of the New Orleans and Gauntlet series, Mr. Smith said he learned a lot about life and faith, and what it means to live your faith out loud, even in the face of persecution.
“Persecution is real, even today. Christians are persecuted for standing up for what they believe. But I’ve found that the only way to life your faith is out loud. Any other way is a terrible way to live,” he said.
Speaking to the youth about the challenges they face in a culture where secular values reign, Mr. Smith encouraged faith and trust in God.
“We know how to be in the world, and we know how to be of the world; but to be in it and not of it is something that every Christian struggles with. We as Christians are called to be set apart. People need to know we’re different; they need to know that we follow God and that we don’t just follow our impulses,” he said.
If you go back 100 years, there wasn’t much to compete with Mom and Dad for their kid’s attention, Mr. Smith said.
“Today there are multibillion- dollar corporations competing for the money, attention and loyalty of these teen-agers, bombarding them with messages about what’s going to make them happy. All that leaves them is empty. I want them to know that Jesus won’t leave them empty,” he said.
Father Fortuna led a workshop titled “Real World in the Real World.”
During the workshop, he emphasized the importance of making the right choices.
“How to be in the world but not of the world is a classic mystery,” Father Fortuna said. “The message to the youth is that they have to be careful, because there is a very fine distinction, but it’s something that we all know. It’s something that our conscience knows.
“I hope to awaken their hearts and open their hearts more, which will then sensitize their conscience to the promptings of that voice speaking within, as well as to the voice of Jesus speaking through the Gospel and through the Church. I hope the message I give helps them not only to respond to those promptings on a personal level, but then also to bridge the gap between that commitment and the culture where they live.”
In order to begin to bridge the gap, you have to begin the journey toward Christ, Father Fortuna said.
“When you are in Christ, he will be your guide in the struggle,” he said. “Jesus will find a place in the decisions that you make, in what you choose to wear and not wear or what to watch and not to watch. The Gospel will then become a point of reference in the culture.”
Stephanie Wood and Paul Lunsford also led workshops during the retreat. Other activities offered during the weekend included the “International Rosary,” Mass, quiet time for reflection and meditation, youth witnesses, rosary making and vocation speakers. Bishop William L. Higi presided at the closing Mass.
Tim Tappel, a youth minister at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Carmel, said “Destination Jesus” means a lot to the youth.
“DJ offers youth the opportunity to come together in a community a lot larger than their parish. They get to hear all the music that’s out there, they get to learn all the new dances that are out there, but much more than that, they get to be authentically Catholic,” he said.
Most importantly, the youth get to meet Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, he said.
“We are a Eucharistic-centered Church. Just that focus is the most important thing. It’s about God coming into our world and our life and touching it so intimately. That’s the key message.”
Sue Nuñez, a youth minister at St. Francis of Assisi, Muncie, said she really promotes “Destination Jesus” to the youth of her parish.
“They certainly get a lot out of it. I tell the youth in our parish that if they don’t do anything all year, to at least go to ‘Destination Jesus.’”
Mrs. Nuñez said she notices a change in the youth who attend the retreat. “The spiritual growth that you see in the kids over the course of the weekend is well worth the effort it takes to get here. I believe that adoration and the personal contact with Christ are the driving force behind the popularity of this retreat. It’s also an opportunity for the kids to be Catholic. It’s seeing other kids throughout the diocese. It really helps in their personal growth.”
Several youth offered comments about the retreat during the weekend.
Colleen Derksen, a sophomore from St. Maria Goretti Parish, Westfield, said this is her second “DJ” retreat.
“I came last year, and I thought it was amazing, so I decided to come back this year. Seeing so many kids here, coming for the same purpose is pretty inspiring. I came to become closer to God in my teen-age years.”
Elizabeth Kleinbub, a sophomore from St. Joseph Parish, Elwood, agreed. She came to the retreat this year after hearing good things about it from other students, she said.
“This is my first year, and I came because a lot of people I know told me how neat it was. It seemed like a great opportunity to get involved with Church.”
John Peterson, a sophomore from St. Joan of Arc Parish, Kokomo, said he attends many youth retreats throughout the year, and that he always looks forward to “Destination Jesus.”
“It’s very spiritually enriching. I’ve learned a lot about my faith. I’ve grown so much. If I had never gone to a DJ retreat, I wouldn’t be as Catholic as I am now.”
He offered advice to youth who may not have experienced “Destination Jesus.”
“I would just like to say that if you get a chance to go to a retreat, go. It’s the best. You’ll have a lot of fun, you’ll meet new people, and it’s spiritually enriching.”