17 May 2024 · 2024-05 newsletter
Young girls between the ages of 10-17 years old were invited during the school holidays to spend a day out at the Schoenstatt Shrine for fun, games, singing, prayer and formation. The same program was offered on two separate days to accommodate the different age groups.
With the help of three young women as volunteer leaders, eighteen girls between the ages of 15-17 years gathered for the first day and six girls aged 10-11 years came together on the second day to enjoy the day’s activities. It was amazing to see how motivated, open and joyful all the young girls were and how quickly bonds of friendship were made.
The theme of the day was: "Gifts from Heaven" and the sessions in the morning were dedicated to the various gifts that God, through the Church give us: the Eucharist, the Holy Spirit, the Blessed Mother and ourselves.
After lunch the girls completed a craft activity where they were able to create a dove, the symbol of the Holy Spirit, out of a paper plate. Although the task was quite simple it gave each of the girls the opportunity to express their individuality and process what they had learnt in the morning sessions.
Both days concluded at the Shrine where we were able to sing and pray together as a group.
In one of the morning sessions the girls were invited to write down their name and all their loved ones on a small piece paper in the shape of a heart. At the end of the day, they could present their hearts to the Blessed Mother in the Shrine. This was a symbolic way to represent the covenant of love, a mutual exchange of hearts!
The echoes from the girls testify to what a great success the day was. Here are just a few examples:
- "I liked when we made the Holy Spirit bird, that was fun."
- "My favourite part of the day was when we gave our hearts to Mary in the shrine."
- "I really had lots of fun and liked singing together."
- “I made lots of new friends today and cannot wait for the next one!”
Filed underNewsletter · Youth