All youth invited to a retreat in southern Utah

Intermountain Catholic

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CEDAR CITY — The Diocese of Salt Lake City Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry is organizing a Southwestern Deanery Marian Youth Day.

All junior high and high school age youth from parishes such as Christ the King, St. Bridget, St. Christopher, St. Elizabeth, St. George and all the nearby missions are invited to participate in the Dec. 8 retreat.

“This retreat is going to take place in southern Utah so we can reach the youth who live in that part of the state,” said Junuee Castro, director of the youth and young adult ministry.

The retreat will be an opportunity for youth to meet and hang out with other people their age from the different parishes and missions, she said.

“The retreat starts at 12:30 p.m. because we want to give the youth of all these communities the opportunity to arrive for the whole event,” Castro said.

The theme for the day is “Mary: The Yes That Changed the World.”

“During the day we will have activities about the Marian avocations. … Mary through history and the importance of Mary as the Mother of God and as our mother,” Castro said.

The day of the retreat is also when the Feast of the Immaculate Conception is celebrated; on Dec. 8, 1854, Pope Pius IX declared the Immaculate Conception a solemnity of the Church.

“We declare, pronounce, and define that the doctrine which holds that the most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instance of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin, is a doctrine revealed by God and therefore to be believed firmly and constantly by all the faithful.” wrote Pope Pius IX in the Apostolic Constitution Ineffabilis Deus.

At the retreat, the youth in attendance will be able to celebrate as one community of faith, Castro said. “We’ll reflect, have activities, prayer, music and the day will end with the Holy Mass.”

WHAT: Southwestern Deanery Marian Youth Day

WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 8, 12:30-6:30 p.m.

WHERE: Christ the King Parish, 690 S. Cove Dr., Cedar City

For information, contact Miriam Nowak, DRE of Christ the King Parish, 435-586-8298 or ctkdre@gmail.com; or the Diocese of Salt Lake City Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, 801-328-8641 ext. 313 or Junuee.castro@dioslc.org.