HERE ARE SOME REFLECTIONS WRITTEN BY CYE MISSIONARIES ENJOY!
Community living is something very beautiful. It is also something very difficult. Difficult because God uses it to prune His garden and that can be painful. Beautiful for the same reason - He uses it to prune His garden and one of the beauties is that their is community - He does not leave us alone in a difficult painful process.
The theme of this summer is "Verso 'l alto" which means to the heights. Catholic Youth Expeditions is a community of young and old, of expeditioners and staff of benefactors and prayer partners, of sinners who long to be saints. CYE is a community of people whose hearts long to "go to the heights". We All long to reach the mountain top. We long to see Jesus we long to be with Him.
For me personally community is extremely difficult. Ir is difficult because God truly uses it to prune me, to pick the dead out of me and that hurts. I love community because through it God takes me little by little up the mountain -- "To the heights"
It is a beautiful journey and we as CYE staff are grateful to all those who believe in this community and give so generously to this community.
We invite you to come be with our community. Come on an expedition, come over for dinner, give us a call of simply be with us by praying for us.
Verso 'l alto
Jessica
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Eurpean Expedition
Growing up I've always been very independent. Whether it was in sports, in school, or even when it came to prayer I preferred to be alone. All of my sports (bowling, tennis, wrestling and cross country) are played independently. As opposed to say basketball or football in which everyone depends on one another to succeed. Studying for exams I'd prefer to be alone rather than in a study group or asking for help from a tutor. My family would often say a family rosary but I would much rather say a rosary by myself or pray alone in some other way. It's not like I didn't get along with people or that I wasn't a team player or anything, its just I felt like I could do some things just fine on my own.
Knowing that I would have to be in Europe for the first two CYE's made me very hesitant about even applying for the summer staff position. I figured I'd be missing our on way too much stuff and not be able to get into the swing of things when I returned. I never thought that any spiritual enlightenment, geared toward CYE, would come upon me during my travels.
However, immediately when I arrived at the Catholic University Seminary in Lueven Belgium I noticed something very powerful that I hadn't experienced much in the past, and I couldn't quite put my finger on it. We'd wake up and say Morning Prayer together, have mass together, eat together, play games together, say Evening Prayer together, and just have fun together. Finally I realized the parallel; everything we did was TOGETHER! Living my normal life, sure I would do things with people, its not like I was a recluse of anything, but the type of unity that this seminary shared was amazing! Traveling throughout Rome, Dublin, and Belgium with my brother and my friend, stopping to pray at the many marvelous sites of Europe I felt a certain closeness with God that I've seldom felt before.
And then of course it came to me. This is what being Catholic is all about! This is what CYE is all about! Heck, even the word Catholic means unified. I had gotten a taste of true unity in Europe and it had prepared me for the awesome unity of CYE. I wouldn't believe I didn't notice it before. After every CYE trip I went on I came back telling my friends "Oh guys you have to come on one of these, with me the people there are just awesome!" And that's exactly what i had been missing in my life, the people. Just like football and basketball depend on everyone to succeed so do I. I rely of my brothers and sisters in Christ to succeed because without them I will always fall. And that's what being Catholic is all about; living as one, unifies body of Christ.
Kevin
Knowing that I would have to be in Europe for the first two CYE's made me very hesitant about even applying for the summer staff position. I figured I'd be missing our on way too much stuff and not be able to get into the swing of things when I returned. I never thought that any spiritual enlightenment, geared toward CYE, would come upon me during my travels.
However, immediately when I arrived at the Catholic University Seminary in Lueven Belgium I noticed something very powerful that I hadn't experienced much in the past, and I couldn't quite put my finger on it. We'd wake up and say Morning Prayer together, have mass together, eat together, play games together, say Evening Prayer together, and just have fun together. Finally I realized the parallel; everything we did was TOGETHER! Living my normal life, sure I would do things with people, its not like I was a recluse of anything, but the type of unity that this seminary shared was amazing! Traveling throughout Rome, Dublin, and Belgium with my brother and my friend, stopping to pray at the many marvelous sites of Europe I felt a certain closeness with God that I've seldom felt before.
And then of course it came to me. This is what being Catholic is all about! This is what CYE is all about! Heck, even the word Catholic means unified. I had gotten a taste of true unity in Europe and it had prepared me for the awesome unity of CYE. I wouldn't believe I didn't notice it before. After every CYE trip I went on I came back telling my friends "Oh guys you have to come on one of these, with me the people there are just awesome!" And that's exactly what i had been missing in my life, the people. Just like football and basketball depend on everyone to succeed so do I. I rely of my brothers and sisters in Christ to succeed because without them I will always fall. And that's what being Catholic is all about; living as one, unifies body of Christ.
Kevin
Sports and your Soul
Lord, thank you for provided us with the pleasant weather for our first ever CYE Frisbee night. Everyone participated in our game of ultimate Frisbee and we were spared with any serious injuries. What great exercise! After our spaghetti dinner, we had a deep discussion on how ultimate Frisbee ties into our own state of our souls. What a great question, one that I found to be difficult to answer. I was simply impressed by the wide variety of answers, and I learned that each of us individually can describe our souls in unique ways. I loved how our discussion led into our talk on Verso l'also going to the heights to discover our deep self -- discovering how God is calling each of us to love Him and serve Him as a community of Catholic Christians to seek Holiness and ultimately our final goal -- salvation. Again, Lord I must thank you for holding off the elements, because our Rosary Procession around the block, bringing our night to a close through the prayer of unity. O Mary, queen of the Holy Rosary and mother of Jesus and of us all, we ask you to continue to intercede for us to Christ, Your Son, to give us wisdom, love, and protection. You passionately desire us to know your Son in intimate ways -- help us to continue on to this path in our faith journey and call to holiness.
What and amazing Friday Frisbee night, a great beginning to bring Catholics and non- Catholics together in faith, Frisbee, food, and fellowship.
Praise be Jesus Christ!! Amen
What and amazing Friday Frisbee night, a great beginning to bring Catholics and non- Catholics together in faith, Frisbee, food, and fellowship.
Praise be Jesus Christ!! Amen
And I would walk 500 miles.... well not quite
Praise the Lord! Now and forever!
The first expedition of the season was so amazing! God truly blessed us! Sixteen of us went up to Rock Island to not only experience outdoor adventure with camping and hiking, but also experience God's love for us through community, sacraments, and meditation. During the expedition, a big chunk of time was spent hiking and traveling to and from out destination. In order to get to Rock Island, we hiked NINE MILES across Washington Island first. Even the locals were talking about us "crazy CYE people"! But to be quite honest, it was during the traveling and hiking we bonded the most (outside of the sacraments of course).
I know that if I would have hiked it alone, it would have been a lot more difficult. However, with in depth conversations and infinite amounts of holy laughter among friends, it made the hike go smoothly and more enjoyable.
I've realized that this is just like life. Our society tells us that independence and personal success is so important and worthy of every one's praise, but to be honest, it seems as if God tells us the opposite. We need each other. Self awareness is important, however it is only important in light of how it affects and helps the rest of the community. Our identity as man or as women would not make sense by itself. We, truly need each other so we can learn from each other and support one another as God calls us to.
The nine mile hike was good because of the joyful presence of friends, just as out journey through life is always smoother when there is a community of God's children who love and support us.
First Corinthians chapter twelve, talks about how we, the Church, are many parts yet all one body. This first expedition reminded me of this verse. We are all important and vital to the Church. Though we all are different with various gifts and talents, we are called to unity -- to support and build each other up -- so we may serve as Jesus served and proclaim the Good News throughout the world!
Just as the storm we experienced one night on Rock Island with only Kurt's cell phone light to get us back to out campsite --- there are going to be storms in out lives too. However with the help of each other (and possible screaming and tripping in the process) we can get through anything!
As always, God and I love you! your friend from CYE Corrie
Catholic Youth Expeditions kicked off the summer with a young adult expedition to Rock Island. We all gathered at St Pius the tenth in Appleton on Friday May 23, 2008. Our expedition started with a group prayer as we embarked on an adventure of a life time. Our first stop was at the Shrine of our Lady of Good Help in Robinsonville. One of the only spots in the United States where the Blessed Mother appeared and then a shrine was erected to honor her presence. We stopped at the shrine to visit a young man by the name of Simon and some of his companions. Simon and his friends started the Knights of out Lady of Good Help, similar in many ways to the Knights of Columbus. The knights joined us for evening prayer and we were then given a tour of the grounds. Robinsinville is a wonderful little place in the middle of the country that is far too often overlooked, if you have the time I would highly recommend a visit to the shrine, it is truly beautiful.
After a visit with the knights we continued our journey up the peninsula. Our next stop was in Egg Harbor to watch the sunset. After taking in the beauty of God's painting we continued north to St. Rosalia's. When we arrived we ran into a little snag, it appeared that no one had a key to get into the Church, so we did what any good group would do, we prayed. As we started the chaplet our hopes were that someone would have mercy on us and grand us lodging for the night. As God would have it just as we finished Deacon Paul arrived with the key and the weary travelers rested for the night.
Saturday morning we got up and made our way to the bus and headed north to Gills Rock. When we arrived we divided up all the food and cooking supplies an adventure in and of it self then embarked on the hiking portion of the expedition and hiked to the ferry and all got on board. When we reached Washington Island we started with morning prayer and then started our hike. Never in my life did I think I would be hiking for nine miles in one stretch, but it was a beautiful experience. It's incredible the kinds of relationships you form with people while sharing in the adventure of a hike especially when the direction your going is uncertain and all you know is the destination.
When we arrived at the campsite we were blessed with the opportunity to celebrate mass, what a privilege it is to celebrate the Eucharist in the grand Cathedral of nature. That evening we were able to share great food and fellowship with one another. During this expedition we weathered our fair share of storms and not just the actually one that passed through on Sunday night but the physical struggles that came along with hiking nine miles across and island and the mental fatigue that was brought on by lack of sleep. But this is life there is going to be struggles and storms but as long as we have faith we will overcome. Jesus never said that life would be easy but he did say that as long as we have faith you'll never walk alone.
The first expedition for the summer of 2008 was and arduous and adventuresome trip. We took the newly completed CYE bus on a rockin road trip. With Fr. Quinn behind the wheel we made our way towards Rock Island, a state park off the tip of the Door County Peninsula. We took a stop off at the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help in Robinsinville. As we turned down several country roads to get there I had no clue what to expect. I am from the Diocese of Green Bay and have never heard of the shrine, so I did not expect it to be significant. Holy Mother of God was I wrong. As we learned about the shrine I found out that I standing on the spot of the only confirmed Apparition in the United States. Mary appeared to a young woman several times there and later saved a church full of people during the devastating Pestigo fire. What a treasure and a blessing. This Earthly place which was so clearly touched by the Divine sits merely an hour away. It is amazing how we can search far and wide, only to find the miraculous near to us. This holds true in many more areas than the shrine.
As we continues along our journey we reached Washington Island. We got off the ferry and loaded our packs to prepare for the nearly 10 mile hike to catch the ferry to Rock Island. Beginning the hike I had no idea what I was in for. The group of us began marching with our packs under a comfortable mid- morning sun. The signs of spring were around with wild flowers blooming and swallows swooping around their hollows.
Cars zipped by us on our hike down the road and still all of us hiked cheerily along the way. As mile added to mile the group continued to trek. Each continued car that passed seemed a bit more inviting. Some of us hikers chatted about our current spot in life in order to grow closer as expeditioners. There was also joking about hitching a ride on one of the passing vehicles to forgo the remainder of the hike. Regardless, we continued our walk under the overhead sun. During this walk we all got an opportunity to grow closer while sharing the burdens of our clothes, sleeping bags, tents, and food for the 5 day trip. As cars continued to pass by the chatter would again start up about taking a ride. Although it was tempting, we didn't because we knew the journey together through hardship would make reaching the destination so much more fulfilling, and it proved true.
To sit around the fire together after out hike with aches in out legs and laughter in the air was fulfilling. The journey enhanced the destination and so it is in life. Our common experiences with those who are around us can be sorrowful and painful at times, but with faith in Christ they will produce worthy fruits. By journeying with one another we can discover those treasures that are all around while trusting that the difficulties of the journey will be well worth the rewards.
The first expedition of the season was so amazing! God truly blessed us! Sixteen of us went up to Rock Island to not only experience outdoor adventure with camping and hiking, but also experience God's love for us through community, sacraments, and meditation. During the expedition, a big chunk of time was spent hiking and traveling to and from out destination. In order to get to Rock Island, we hiked NINE MILES across Washington Island first. Even the locals were talking about us "crazy CYE people"! But to be quite honest, it was during the traveling and hiking we bonded the most (outside of the sacraments of course).
I know that if I would have hiked it alone, it would have been a lot more difficult. However, with in depth conversations and infinite amounts of holy laughter among friends, it made the hike go smoothly and more enjoyable.
I've realized that this is just like life. Our society tells us that independence and personal success is so important and worthy of every one's praise, but to be honest, it seems as if God tells us the opposite. We need each other. Self awareness is important, however it is only important in light of how it affects and helps the rest of the community. Our identity as man or as women would not make sense by itself. We, truly need each other so we can learn from each other and support one another as God calls us to.
The nine mile hike was good because of the joyful presence of friends, just as out journey through life is always smoother when there is a community of God's children who love and support us.
First Corinthians chapter twelve, talks about how we, the Church, are many parts yet all one body. This first expedition reminded me of this verse. We are all important and vital to the Church. Though we all are different with various gifts and talents, we are called to unity -- to support and build each other up -- so we may serve as Jesus served and proclaim the Good News throughout the world!
Just as the storm we experienced one night on Rock Island with only Kurt's cell phone light to get us back to out campsite --- there are going to be storms in out lives too. However with the help of each other (and possible screaming and tripping in the process) we can get through anything!
As always, God and I love you! your friend from CYE Corrie
Catholic Youth Expeditions kicked off the summer with a young adult expedition to Rock Island. We all gathered at St Pius the tenth in Appleton on Friday May 23, 2008. Our expedition started with a group prayer as we embarked on an adventure of a life time. Our first stop was at the Shrine of our Lady of Good Help in Robinsonville. One of the only spots in the United States where the Blessed Mother appeared and then a shrine was erected to honor her presence. We stopped at the shrine to visit a young man by the name of Simon and some of his companions. Simon and his friends started the Knights of out Lady of Good Help, similar in many ways to the Knights of Columbus. The knights joined us for evening prayer and we were then given a tour of the grounds. Robinsinville is a wonderful little place in the middle of the country that is far too often overlooked, if you have the time I would highly recommend a visit to the shrine, it is truly beautiful.
After a visit with the knights we continued our journey up the peninsula. Our next stop was in Egg Harbor to watch the sunset. After taking in the beauty of God's painting we continued north to St. Rosalia's. When we arrived we ran into a little snag, it appeared that no one had a key to get into the Church, so we did what any good group would do, we prayed. As we started the chaplet our hopes were that someone would have mercy on us and grand us lodging for the night. As God would have it just as we finished Deacon Paul arrived with the key and the weary travelers rested for the night.
Saturday morning we got up and made our way to the bus and headed north to Gills Rock. When we arrived we divided up all the food and cooking supplies an adventure in and of it self then embarked on the hiking portion of the expedition and hiked to the ferry and all got on board. When we reached Washington Island we started with morning prayer and then started our hike. Never in my life did I think I would be hiking for nine miles in one stretch, but it was a beautiful experience. It's incredible the kinds of relationships you form with people while sharing in the adventure of a hike especially when the direction your going is uncertain and all you know is the destination.
When we arrived at the campsite we were blessed with the opportunity to celebrate mass, what a privilege it is to celebrate the Eucharist in the grand Cathedral of nature. That evening we were able to share great food and fellowship with one another. During this expedition we weathered our fair share of storms and not just the actually one that passed through on Sunday night but the physical struggles that came along with hiking nine miles across and island and the mental fatigue that was brought on by lack of sleep. But this is life there is going to be struggles and storms but as long as we have faith we will overcome. Jesus never said that life would be easy but he did say that as long as we have faith you'll never walk alone.
The first expedition for the summer of 2008 was and arduous and adventuresome trip. We took the newly completed CYE bus on a rockin road trip. With Fr. Quinn behind the wheel we made our way towards Rock Island, a state park off the tip of the Door County Peninsula. We took a stop off at the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help in Robinsinville. As we turned down several country roads to get there I had no clue what to expect. I am from the Diocese of Green Bay and have never heard of the shrine, so I did not expect it to be significant. Holy Mother of God was I wrong. As we learned about the shrine I found out that I standing on the spot of the only confirmed Apparition in the United States. Mary appeared to a young woman several times there and later saved a church full of people during the devastating Pestigo fire. What a treasure and a blessing. This Earthly place which was so clearly touched by the Divine sits merely an hour away. It is amazing how we can search far and wide, only to find the miraculous near to us. This holds true in many more areas than the shrine.
As we continues along our journey we reached Washington Island. We got off the ferry and loaded our packs to prepare for the nearly 10 mile hike to catch the ferry to Rock Island. Beginning the hike I had no idea what I was in for. The group of us began marching with our packs under a comfortable mid- morning sun. The signs of spring were around with wild flowers blooming and swallows swooping around their hollows.
Cars zipped by us on our hike down the road and still all of us hiked cheerily along the way. As mile added to mile the group continued to trek. Each continued car that passed seemed a bit more inviting. Some of us hikers chatted about our current spot in life in order to grow closer as expeditioners. There was also joking about hitching a ride on one of the passing vehicles to forgo the remainder of the hike. Regardless, we continued our walk under the overhead sun. During this walk we all got an opportunity to grow closer while sharing the burdens of our clothes, sleeping bags, tents, and food for the 5 day trip. As cars continued to pass by the chatter would again start up about taking a ride. Although it was tempting, we didn't because we knew the journey together through hardship would make reaching the destination so much more fulfilling, and it proved true.
To sit around the fire together after out hike with aches in out legs and laughter in the air was fulfilling. The journey enhanced the destination and so it is in life. Our common experiences with those who are around us can be sorrowful and painful at times, but with faith in Christ they will produce worthy fruits. By journeying with one another we can discover those treasures that are all around while trusting that the difficulties of the journey will be well worth the rewards.
Saving Lives
My dear Lord Jesus,
How great thou art and how wide is thy love. "Operation Lifeguard Training" turned out to be a beautiful journey of witnessing Your Love ... but then again, when we do something in Your name, when is it not?
In my mind, I have divided the types of love I experienced into two distinct, yet identical categories. While at first this may seem impossible, I have come to realize that Divine Love is so intricate and is intertwined among every word uttered and every action taken, in all places at all times, when done for You. This manifestation of Your Sacred Heart allows us to experience Your omnipresence, while simultaneously perceiving the individualistic components of Your Love which allows us to then classify it into categories. In this specific case, I have experienced communal Love and sacrificial love. I apply these labels with a grain of salt, keeping in mind that Your love transcends the capacity of the human brain to conceptualize its true existence and that our attempts at explaining Divine love always prove insufficient in comparison to its true glory and splendor.
Communal Love. This was perhaps the more apparent type of love I experienced. We were hosted by Camp Gray, an outdoor camp of the Diocese of Madison. Camp Gray has such a different ministry focus and yet it was beautiful to see how well we all came together and bonded, realizing that we are on in the some in the Lord. We maintained our daily prayer schedule, and invited the Camp Gray staff members to join us in praying the liturgy of the Hours. A few staff members grabbed their brievaries and joined us, while others came with and open heart, eager to learn a new form of prayer. There is a lot of peace in seeing others serving the Lord, and I felt almost a satisfaction, knowing that Camp Gray and CYE were almost working as a team. Camp Gray ministered to the younger children, while CYE brought the Lord to the young adults. Coming together in prayer -- knowing that we are all giving out summer to the Lord in outdoor ministry -- that, to me, is communal love.
Sacrificial love. I use this term to refer to the Life Guard training itself. As a Life Guard, we are called to come to the aid of an injured or drowning victim. For example, a Life Guard may jump into 25 feet of water to safe a victim whom he or she does not know. While there is no comparison in the pain felt by the Life Guard and Jesus, the concept of putting yourself at the mercy of God to save someone you do not know, closely resembles the sacrificial love of Jesus on the cross.
Through the five day Life Guard training, I have come to understand a tiny sliver more of the Love of the Lord. It is this tiny sliver that gives me the motivation to keep on going day after day... to be joyful when I'm tired ... to be strong in Him though I am weak in myself. This tiny sliver makes me all the more thirsty for Him, desiring more of that love. And thus, I shall seek it our, with all of my heart. And I shall bring that love to others, so that they, too, may experience the unexplainable joy of the Lord.
My dear Jesus, I thank you for loving me and for allowing me to place my toes in your ocean of love. I now realize its vastness .. and all I want to do is swim ...
I am a Life Guard, after all !!
How great thou art and how wide is thy love. "Operation Lifeguard Training" turned out to be a beautiful journey of witnessing Your Love ... but then again, when we do something in Your name, when is it not?
In my mind, I have divided the types of love I experienced into two distinct, yet identical categories. While at first this may seem impossible, I have come to realize that Divine Love is so intricate and is intertwined among every word uttered and every action taken, in all places at all times, when done for You. This manifestation of Your Sacred Heart allows us to experience Your omnipresence, while simultaneously perceiving the individualistic components of Your Love which allows us to then classify it into categories. In this specific case, I have experienced communal Love and sacrificial love. I apply these labels with a grain of salt, keeping in mind that Your love transcends the capacity of the human brain to conceptualize its true existence and that our attempts at explaining Divine love always prove insufficient in comparison to its true glory and splendor.
Communal Love. This was perhaps the more apparent type of love I experienced. We were hosted by Camp Gray, an outdoor camp of the Diocese of Madison. Camp Gray has such a different ministry focus and yet it was beautiful to see how well we all came together and bonded, realizing that we are on in the some in the Lord. We maintained our daily prayer schedule, and invited the Camp Gray staff members to join us in praying the liturgy of the Hours. A few staff members grabbed their brievaries and joined us, while others came with and open heart, eager to learn a new form of prayer. There is a lot of peace in seeing others serving the Lord, and I felt almost a satisfaction, knowing that Camp Gray and CYE were almost working as a team. Camp Gray ministered to the younger children, while CYE brought the Lord to the young adults. Coming together in prayer -- knowing that we are all giving out summer to the Lord in outdoor ministry -- that, to me, is communal love.
Sacrificial love. I use this term to refer to the Life Guard training itself. As a Life Guard, we are called to come to the aid of an injured or drowning victim. For example, a Life Guard may jump into 25 feet of water to safe a victim whom he or she does not know. While there is no comparison in the pain felt by the Life Guard and Jesus, the concept of putting yourself at the mercy of God to save someone you do not know, closely resembles the sacrificial love of Jesus on the cross.
Through the five day Life Guard training, I have come to understand a tiny sliver more of the Love of the Lord. It is this tiny sliver that gives me the motivation to keep on going day after day... to be joyful when I'm tired ... to be strong in Him though I am weak in myself. This tiny sliver makes me all the more thirsty for Him, desiring more of that love. And thus, I shall seek it our, with all of my heart. And I shall bring that love to others, so that they, too, may experience the unexplainable joy of the Lord.
My dear Jesus, I thank you for loving me and for allowing me to place my toes in your ocean of love. I now realize its vastness .. and all I want to do is swim ...
I am a Life Guard, after all !!
Kangaroo Lake Expedition Days 3 & 4
Some of the gals at the drive-in movie theatre on day 3!
Michael in prayer with the rest of the group. Individual prayer time is an important component of the expeditions!
That's about how much time we have left! Getting ready to close up day 3!
After arriving back in Appleton, we stop for a BBQ and wash one anothers feet. I reminder of our responsibility to make a gift of ourselves for others.
After cruising down College Avenue in the CYE bus we arrive back at St. Pius to say our good-byes. Awesome!
A thank you to the parents for raising your kids in the faith of Christ.
Thank you Deacon Luke!Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Kangaroo Lake Expedition DAY 2
After a night of prayer...two and a half hours of it, we are back around the campfire to top the night off with fellowship and of course, smores! We play hard and pray hard! I am sure these guys had a good nights rest after it was all said and done!
Verso l'Alto! (To the Heights!) Discovering our deep selves! This is our theme for the summer. These guys took it literarly and hoofed it to the top of the dune! The phrase, Verso l'Alto, was Pier Giorgio Frassati's motto and it means, “TO
THE HEIGHTS!” This is our goal...to get to heaven! To reach the top! To
explore and find a place to dwell in the presence of God on this earth and in
the reality to come!
“Discovering your deep self!” A phrase taken from Jean Vanier., the founder of a
community that does ministry with the handicap. To go deep, to go in search
of our soul for the presence of God in our lives. To go deep within our
interior spiritual life to better understand who we are. As Plato said, in his quest
for Truth, “Know thyself.” Community life becomes the catalyst for us to reach
that inner sanctum, the inner sanctuary of God's presence. Then and only then
can we go to the Heights. We must go down to go up! The paradox of the
Paschal Mystery! The paradox of a three month mission with Catholic Youth
Expeditions this summer of 2008!
We're still hiking! Having forty high school students charging in the icy water of Lake Michigan was awesome! It was like a second baptism! Monday was absolutely perfect to be outside, on the trails and in the water!
Hiking along the lakeshore trail! We put on about 3.5 miles and during these times great conversations occur. Simplicity in relationships are the bedrock of CYE's mission. We don't believe that God's voice can be heard in the fast-paced lives of our youth so slowing down and finding meaningful conversation can often be a great avenue for growth in faith!
Once we arrived at the lake shore there was swiming and hiking in good 'ol CYE fashion. Here we have some of the group in front of the crystal clear blue waters of Lake Michigan! Some of the best experiences in life are free...well close to free! We parked the bus in the county lot so we didn't have to pay for a state park pass! Trick's of the trade when one grew up in Door County!
It is awesome to look into your riew view mirror and see these young souls behind with smiles on their faces and the world ahead of them. What a blessing it is for our CYE Missionaries to spend time with these remarkable high school students. Their faith is inspiring to say the least!
We took a bus pilgrimage on Tuesday to Whitefish State Park, Cave Point and Clark Lake! Since we are a fully mobile mission, we thought it good to use the Door Peninsula as our camp! Our new motto, "The world is our camp!"
On top of "Old Baldy" observation deck...the tallest dune on the western shore of Lake Michigan! Here the retreat expeditioners are revealing their fear of heights!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Kangaroo Lake Expedition DAY 1
My brothers and sisters in Christ, The first high school expedition of 2008 is now underway! All is well here. Our expedition has provided just an awesome opportunity to encounter God through Mass, prayer, and nature. We kicked off the day with Mass with Fr. Quinn at St. Pius in Appleton. We arrived at St. Joseph's Retreat Center on Kangaroo Lake a half an hour early, and the day has been a very beautiful one still. The rain held off, and the sun followed soon after. When Fr. Mark Vandersteege joined us, he recommended we venture out to a great hill with a cross on top of it that we could hike to, and view the sunset from. We are certainly glad he made that suggestion. It fit so well with this summer's theme "Verso L'Alto!"; Italian for "to the Heights!" High on this bluff, watching the sun go down, Brandon began his introduction talk. Looking down to the world below--the golden grasses touched with sunlight, and clouds of purple sillouhetted by blues and turquoise--we were quite literally "to the heights." Our CYE logo is a hiker climbing a mountain. On the top, there is a cross. It's like CYE was destined from the start to be here. In Brandon's reflection, he pointed out how God is calling us to spiritually follow this relevant motto of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati's expeditions in those adventurous mountain climbs. We need to ascend, to grow to know the Lord. On these expeditions as we respond to His call for us, He will reveal himself to us. We will see Him much like when Saints Peter, James, and John saw Him. Jesus and these three ascended up the mountain in which He revealed Himself to them through the Transfiguration with Moses and Elijah. With the physical, human Jesus now ascended into Heaven, we must still "walk" with Him up this mountain. It's a spiritual climb that we'd be fools to pass up. Is it our apathy that keeps us from trying? See the top? 
We've got to make our way there! Christ will reveal Himself to us, and He will reveal to us the Father's Will. Praise God! Thanks so much for the prayers! Please continue to pray for safety, good weather, and that the Holy Spirit will continually guide each of us. Your brother,Kurt Krauss Captions: Pic 1: Brendan stands beneath the cross at sunset, overlooking the world below. Pic 2: Emily and Mike stand together, taking in the gorgeous sunset during evening prayer. Pic 3: Expeditioners quietly praying amidst a glorious sunset.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Keep in touch with CYE! Kangaroo Lake 2008
Praise the Lord! Greetings in Christ Jesus! Father Quinn here! As parents, you are looking for a Catholic Youth apostolate plugged into the teachings of the Church and dynamic enough to attract your high school student to go on! CYE affords this possibility and our college summer missionaries are excited to be hosting this Kangaroo Lake 2008 Expedition to Door County, WI. From your calm and tranquil home, you follow your child's experience through pictures and text explaining their CYE experience. Below, you can keep track of our expedition. Thank you for nurturing your child in faith and sending them 
on this CYE. Our mission is: To encounter Jesus Christ and foster Catholic Christian community through expedition retreats of prayer, proclamation of the gospel and outdoor adventure! For only 45 bucks, we offer a power-pact Catholic experience for you son or daughter! Of course, this doesn't come close to covering our expenses so any gift in charity toward our apostolate is a gift from God (hint hint)! Together, we are entering into this summer's theme, VERSO L'ALTO (To the Heights)--Discovering our deep selves! Please pray for us as you will be in our prayers during this expedition!
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Closing Comments of IEC Pilgrimage 2008
Before departing from Ludington on the Badger car ferry, we visited the shore of Lake Michigan and had Mass in front of the bus. In total, we traveled 2600 miles and 54 combined hours of driving! Thank you to Lamer's bus lines! It was fun backing this thing onto the ferry!
One of the many beautiful sights during our last evening on pilgrimage. We were able to go swimming and play some ultimate frisbee before dinner, prayer and fellowship around the campfire.
Camping on the way home. As we traveled west along the northern shore of Lake Huron, we stopped randomly at a provincial park and found an awesome group site Once again, God providentially provided for us and we ended our last night in true CYE fasion! Thank you to all who have made this pilgrimage possible! It was a true blessing from the Lord and please keep us in prayer as we look forward to our first high school expedition of the summer coming up this Sunday! Verso l'Alto! --Fr. Quinn
Gifts from God
Praise the Lord! Now and forever! We rolled in at around 12am this morning from our pilgrimage! It was fantastic but I will admit that I do need some rest! I just want to say thank you so much for all your prayers and support for CYE. This pilgrimage was full of many miracles and Divine providence that changed many lives and will continue to do so in the future. The term that comes to mind about this pilgrimage is "Divine providence". Divine providence is that thing from God that allows us to be in the right place at the right time to receive the gift of grace and many blessings. Some of us like to call them "God-cidences". They're definitely not accidents (above: sunset over Lake Michigan on the way home) caused by luck or chance. They are a result of God's love for us that strengthens our faith and trust in Him. An example God-cidence of our first day at the Eucharistic Congress was when we were waiting to get information and name tags in front of the registration building. Some of us were just antsy and wanting to get to the stadium for mass but Fr. Quinn kept saying "just be patient! love is patient!" Moments later we see Bishop Zubik walking towards us and all of us were like WHOA there IS a reason that God wanted us to wait patiently here because He had something awesome in store for us!Lastly, the best God-cidence and Gift is the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the ONLY FOOD where WE become what we eat. We become more like Christ. We unite with Him in a beautiful and unexpected way. Through this we become gifts for the rest of the world. It is through us where others can meet God face to face. I will close with a poem that comes straight from my journal. God and I love you all! Sincerely yours through the holy chaos, ~Corrie
"A Gift from God"
A gift from God is given
To us at this time and place
Wrapped with unfailing love and joy
A blessing filled with grace
A gift from God may seem
Like a lucky event in time
But then it seems as if each gift
Is solely perfected by the Divine
A gift from God is beautiful
Even better than what we see
Underneath is a glorious sign
That these gifts are you and me
Saturday, June 21, 2008
On the Road Again...
Our last small group of the IEC. During this expedition retreat, we have taken the time to process our experience and small groups have been crucial. Here, Kurt, Tommy and Dick are wrapping things up. Today gave us the last opportunity to go through the encyclical on the Eucharist and see how we must bring this experience back with us.
This afternoon, we processed to a small Church near the Eucharistic City. Archbishop Dolan said Mass for us. While hiking to a small Catholic Church in a nearby borough, we prayed a Divine Mercy Chaplet. JP II has called the age we live in the Age of Mercy. His first encyclical was on God’s mercy. Next to the Rosary, the Divine Mercy Chaplet is an awesome devotional. Do you know about Sister Faustina and the Divine Mercy? If not, I would like to suggest the chance to learn about this new devotional in our Catholic tradition. At arriving at the Church, we finished our prayers and entered a beautiful sanctuary to celebrate the greatest gift ever
--THE HOLY EUCHARIST!
+++++++++
Now, as I type this we are only ten minutes away from boarding the CYE bus and departing the IEC. Tomorrow, Pope Benedict XVI will be giving a live satellite address to the Congress! We will be in solidarity as we make the 27 hour trip back to the great state of Wisconsin. Hopefully, as we travel back, we can leave you some reflections of this defining pilgrimage experience. Thank you for sharing with us and for your prayers. I am grateful to God for the many people who have made this pilgrimage a reality!
Both Now and Forever...Amen! Pray for us as we traverse the highways back home!
VERSO L' ALTO!
Father Quinn
In Solidarity with the Poor
Good friends,
We spent our last night of the Congress in the Eucharistic City in Quebec, Canada. We camped out on the grounds through an organization called Development and Peace. They put on an evening of entertainment and information revolving around the Landless Brazilian families. The Landless Brazilians have been forced off their land and into poverty. As they attempt to peacefully bring equality into their land, they have been continually beaten and murdered. This night and the following morning brought us to a better understanding of how these people suffer.
This night was quite providential, among other things. How appropriate it is that the Development and Peace organization brought us into solidarity with the poor through camping. That’s totally CYE. To be honest, I had a great amount of difficulty getting through the night.
It was not a comfortable camping experience. Early on, I realized how much I was missing our original site. Camping in Quebec City with its loud cars and city noises made for very little sleep. Additionally, with all the rain we’ve had this week, my ground mat and sleeping bag was soaked. Utilizing my one dry blanket, my duffel bag for a pillow, and some laundry as a mattress, I attempted to fall asleep. The night temperatures fell, and I FROZE. For awhile, I grumbled. I was restless. I was so tired, and ready to sleep, but the elements did not allow for me to do so. At first I was really troubled by this. I kept thinking to myself, “This isn’t comfortable. Of all the places to do a campout, why did the Development and Peace group choose here?” Then it hit me. The poor of the world do not camp in tents in the fine forests of Canada, lulled to sleep by owls and nightingales. Rather, they sleep under the overpasses where the sounds of car engines never cease. As the evening temps plummet, they have neither sleeping bags nor pillows to bring them comfort. I really did feel that I was once again in solidarity with the poor. This is one of the missions of CYE--solidarity with the poor.
Father Carr, pray for us!
-KURT KRAUSS
We spent our last night of the Congress in the Eucharistic City in Quebec, Canada. We camped out on the grounds through an organization called Development and Peace. They put on an evening of entertainment and information revolving around the Landless Brazilian families. The Landless Brazilians have been forced off their land and into poverty. As they attempt to peacefully bring equality into their land, they have been continually beaten and murdered. This night and the following morning brought us to a better understanding of how these people suffer.
This night was quite providential, among other things. How appropriate it is that the Development and Peace organization brought us into solidarity with the poor through camping. That’s totally CYE. To be honest, I had a great amount of difficulty getting through the night.
It was not a comfortable camping experience. Early on, I realized how much I was missing our original site. Camping in Quebec City with its loud cars and city noises made for very little sleep. Additionally, with all the rain we’ve had this week, my ground mat and sleeping bag was soaked. Utilizing my one dry blanket, my duffel bag for a pillow, and some laundry as a mattress, I attempted to fall asleep. The night temperatures fell, and I FROZE. For awhile, I grumbled. I was restless. I was so tired, and ready to sleep, but the elements did not allow for me to do so. At first I was really troubled by this. I kept thinking to myself, “This isn’t comfortable. Of all the places to do a campout, why did the Development and Peace group choose here?” Then it hit me. The poor of the world do not camp in tents in the fine forests of Canada, lulled to sleep by owls and nightingales. Rather, they sleep under the overpasses where the sounds of car engines never cease. As the evening temps plummet, they have neither sleeping bags nor pillows to bring them comfort. I really did feel that I was once again in solidarity with the poor. This is one of the missions of CYE--solidarity with the poor.
Father Carr, pray for us!
-KURT KRAUSS
A Shoutout for Archbishop Dolan!
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
As far as we're concerned, today should be declared Archbishop Dolan Day! What a guy! We hung out with this amazing man of God all afternoon. The CYE bus was the Archbishop's preferred mode of transportation, and Jerry Ver Voort, his chauffer of choice. We picked up Archbishop Dolan and his Milwaukee crew from the airport, and we all traveled together to St. Anne's Basilica. Besides touring the beautiful basilica, the many religious there including our own Fathers Quinn and Tom and Archbishop Dolan, concelebrated Mass. Deacon Luke also participated, but I'm not quite sure if a deacon concelebrating is a theologically correct statement. Also celebrating Mass was Cardinal Rigali from Philadelphia.
We were all very impressed with the Archbishop's outgoing and loveable personality. His sense of humor even more-so makes him the man of the hour. Especially though, as I observed the Archbishop's interaction with all of those he met, seminarians as well as complete strangers, his genuine care for everyone he encountered left a special impact on me. As Christians, we should strive to treat all those we meet as if it is Christ, Himself. For, they are the Church and Christ is in each one. In this way, we are an image of Christ to them as well. What better way to spread the Gospel than this! We've learned a lot from this great man. To top it off, he treated all of us who are on pilgrimage to dinner. Most of us have been craving burgers since we got here, so needless to say, our stomachs and hearts were quite satisfied.
PRAISE GOD, NOW AND FOREVER, FOR THIS AWESOME ARCHBISHOP, THIS GREAT FAITH, AND THIS DAY!!!
-Kurt Krauss
As far as we're concerned, today should be declared Archbishop Dolan Day! What a guy! We hung out with this amazing man of God all afternoon. The CYE bus was the Archbishop's preferred mode of transportation, and Jerry Ver Voort, his chauffer of choice. We picked up Archbishop Dolan and his Milwaukee crew from the airport, and we all traveled together to St. Anne's Basilica. Besides touring the beautiful basilica, the many religious there including our own Fathers Quinn and Tom and Archbishop Dolan, concelebrated Mass. Deacon Luke also participated, but I'm not quite sure if a deacon concelebrating is a theologically correct statement. Also celebrating Mass was Cardinal Rigali from Philadelphia.
We were all very impressed with the Archbishop's outgoing and loveable personality. His sense of humor even more-so makes him the man of the hour. Especially though, as I observed the Archbishop's interaction with all of those he met, seminarians as well as complete strangers, his genuine care for everyone he encountered left a special impact on me. As Christians, we should strive to treat all those we meet as if it is Christ, Himself. For, they are the Church and Christ is in each one. In this way, we are an image of Christ to them as well. What better way to spread the Gospel than this! We've learned a lot from this great man. To top it off, he treated all of us who are on pilgrimage to dinner. Most of us have been craving burgers since we got here, so needless to say, our stomachs and hearts were quite satisfied.
PRAISE GOD, NOW AND FOREVER, FOR THIS AWESOME ARCHBISHOP, THIS GREAT FAITH, AND THIS DAY!!!
-Kurt Krauss
Snapshots from Quebec
Jenny and Brad talking in the Youth Expo Center here at the IEC! A huge part of CYE and Christian ministry in general is one-on-one conversations, or what we call "relational ministry." We must never forget that Jesus discipled those chosen for ministry. Jesus deliberately took others aside to form them and developed relationships with them. These intimate times with our Savior became transformative in the apostles` lives. We can ask ourselves, "Do I disciple others into the Catholic faith? Do I take time to bring others to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? Or is my faith just something I do like one hour a week? Have I myself been discipled?" Discipleship in the life of a Christian isn’t a luxury...it is a commandment of Christ, the mandate of the Gospel, "Go out and make DISCIPLES of all nations."
Jerry and Marissa were getting down to some polka in the youth expo center in this picture. Celebration is a huge part of the International Eucharistic Congress. Celebration is a big part of Catholicism...heck, it’s a big part of the Eucharist itself! Do we celebrate life? Dance with joy and give thanks to God the Almighty!
During our pilgrimage, we have met random people all over the place. We’ve taken to the job of "pogging" others. Basically what this means is that we hand out a wooden nickel (called a pog) to those we meet. This has information on it regarding our apostolate, Catholic Youth Expeditions. Here, Mitch, Jim and Tommy met a Sister, one of the thousands of consecrated women at the Congress. The beauty of the Catholic faith is how much of a family it really is! We celebrate together and eat together. We meet one another on the street and we are united through the gift of the Eucharist! Wow! Do we realize that every encounter we have is an opportunity to share the gift of the Eucharist or do we just see encounters as simply random and without meaning. Let us remember our intertwined lives with our brothers and sisters in Christ!
The Eucharist is meant to be brought out to the world. Consequently, a Eucharistic procession is one way to bring Jesus into the streets. This particular procession was HUGE! We processed over three miles from the IEC Village to downtown Quebec City! During the way we sang, prayed, laughed, got rained on and shared in the joy of Christ. Others would be leaning over balconies and looking out their window at the thousands of people marching through the streets! Do we bring the Eucharist into the streets in our own lives? Do we have processions in our own parishes? Why at times are we afraid to process our faith in public? Let us be encouraged to share the gift of the Eucharist with the world and organize this Eucharistic devotion in our own communities.
During the procession, we had the opportunity to do a little advertising...my marketing degree always put into effect even as a priest! We didn’t have two poles so Tommy and I used our ingenuity and stopped at an auto parts store and asked for two cardboard tubes used to put brake lines in. They graciously lent them to us! We held the sign high above the processing crowd!
After a long Eucharistic procession we were running on the bus, running around the bus and simply filled with the joy of the Lord! "The glory of God is a human being fully alive!" The Eucharist gives us life! Have you jumped on the bus? "Thanks be to God, who unfailingly leads us to Christ triumphal train (or bus) and employs us to diffuse the fragrance of his knowledge everywhere." 2 COR 2:14
Friday the 20th of June, we went out to St. Anne’s to celebrate Mass. Traveling along the St. Lawrence Seaway, one could not but have a deep appreciation for the early Jesuits who made their way down this waterway. St. Ann was the mother of Mary, hence Jesus` grandmother. She is the patron saint of single women looking for a husband. There’s a prayer that goes like this... "St. Ann St. Ann, find me a man as fast as you can!" Well, this is what Bishop Dolan told one of our expeditioners! That’s right; we picked up Archbishop Timothy Dolan with our bus at the airport today! He appreciated the ride along with the 8 other pilgrims from Milwaukee! Thank you Bishop Dolan for the dinner tonight!
Proof that the bishop was really with us! Jerry "the driver" Ver Voort was graced with a picture in front of the bishop’s hotel this evening!
Emily and Kristy reunited at the IEC Emily is a native of Oshkosh who joined a contemplative community called the Order of St. John. Do you know of young women who may have a call to religious life? Have you encouraged them? Emily has answered God’s call to consecrated life and she is a JOY to us all! Thank you Emily!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
The Agape Dinner
Hello again, friends!
All is well here in Quebec City. The adventures never cease. Most recently, we were introduced to a new cultural insight by partaking in an Agape Dinner. Agape is Greek for love, and we all know what dinner means. Because I love food so much, one could conclude that every dinner is an Agape Dinner. This, however, is not the case. Apparently, as I too have now found out, there are several different words for love in the Greek language, and this particular love “Agape” is the type of sincere brotherly love, I do believe.
As the night would have it, we all sat around at this Agape Dinner, eating and enjoying the company of our brothers and sisters in Christ. And it was unbelievable. We were waited on for our every need, throughout the night. The food was endless. It required neither plate, nor fork, nor spoon, nor knife, nor any utensil of any kind. Rather, all of our food was hors d'oeuvres, eaten off a napkin with a toothpick. And yes, even the chip dip works on a napkin. One by one, on almost 20 second intervals, another platter of food was delivered to us. I can’t ever remember a time when I’ve turned down food. For the most part, tonight was no exception, but after much indulging in all sorts of rich foods, I was bursting at the seams. Then came dessert. The sweetest chocolate cake, raspberry, and vanilla, processed down the line, and I knew I couldn’t pass on that. Maybe just one then. I ate it, and it was, indeed, extraordinary. My appetite was no more, my stomach quite full. Much to my dismay, the dessert tray came around for a second loop. I thought I could hold my ground and refuse--I felt only bites away from gluttony, after all. When I said, “Ah, thank you, but no more,” the French waiter made the saddest French-Canadian face I’ve ever seen. So, as not to make the waiter feel as though the dessert was somehow not appetizing, because it was delish, Kevin and I conceded, and scooped up another tasty dessert. And it was worth it.
Praise God for wonderful food, good friends, and the lovely folks who served it up!
-Kurt Krauss
All is well here in Quebec City. The adventures never cease. Most recently, we were introduced to a new cultural insight by partaking in an Agape Dinner. Agape is Greek for love, and we all know what dinner means. Because I love food so much, one could conclude that every dinner is an Agape Dinner. This, however, is not the case. Apparently, as I too have now found out, there are several different words for love in the Greek language, and this particular love “Agape” is the type of sincere brotherly love, I do believe.
As the night would have it, we all sat around at this Agape Dinner, eating and enjoying the company of our brothers and sisters in Christ. And it was unbelievable. We were waited on for our every need, throughout the night. The food was endless. It required neither plate, nor fork, nor spoon, nor knife, nor any utensil of any kind. Rather, all of our food was hors d'oeuvres, eaten off a napkin with a toothpick. And yes, even the chip dip works on a napkin. One by one, on almost 20 second intervals, another platter of food was delivered to us. I can’t ever remember a time when I’ve turned down food. For the most part, tonight was no exception, but after much indulging in all sorts of rich foods, I was bursting at the seams. Then came dessert. The sweetest chocolate cake, raspberry, and vanilla, processed down the line, and I knew I couldn’t pass on that. Maybe just one then. I ate it, and it was, indeed, extraordinary. My appetite was no more, my stomach quite full. Much to my dismay, the dessert tray came around for a second loop. I thought I could hold my ground and refuse--I felt only bites away from gluttony, after all. When I said, “Ah, thank you, but no more,” the French waiter made the saddest French-Canadian face I’ve ever seen. So, as not to make the waiter feel as though the dessert was somehow not appetizing, because it was delish, Kevin and I conceded, and scooped up another tasty dessert. And it was worth it.
Praise God for wonderful food, good friends, and the lovely folks who served it up!
-Kurt Krauss
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