The 2020 school year is only 3 weeks old but already over 300 Year 6 primary school students have participated in a Journey with Jesus Retreat, the first phase of CSYMA Junior. This retreat was a first for the students and staff at Holy Family Gowrie, St Clare of Assisi Conder and St Monica’s Evatt. Holy Trinity Curtin are in their second year of CSYMA Junior and the students were very excited to be participating in their retreat after hearing about it from their peers last year.
In the archdiocese there are now 12 primary schools involved in CSYMA Junior, approximately 1000 students will experience the Journey with Jesus retreat. We are extremely blessed to have a huge team of 25 Youth Evangelisers who can minister to our schools in the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn.
The Journey with Jesus retreat is a faith-filled experience for the senior students. The day is packed with games, activities, dramas, videos and talks that all explore the Gospel messages of God’s love, salvation, and forgiveness.
The students spend the day learning about what we need in life for our journey with Jesus. Using a backpack full of items, we learn that on a journey we need a water bottle, which represents the essential and unconditional nature of God’s love, a torch which represents salvation and the light of Jesus in our lives and a first aid kit to represent healing and forgiveness when things go wrong.
At the end of the day the students reflect and respond on their journey so far. They enter a time of prayer and it is beautiful to see the students coming forward with open hearts to invite Jesus into their lives.
As the Journey with Jesus retreat day ends, the students are clear on the message that it is not in fact the end of their journey but just the beginning and they leave the day eager to see what God has planned for them!
