So Bishop Sample addressed over 650 young people and their chaperones who attended the annual See the See Youth Rally at St Peter's Cathedral yesterday.
The day consisted of songs of praise, great teaching by keynote speaker Cooper Ray, various workshops, including Eucharist Adoration.
Confessions were available for much of the day. I had a rather sore behind after sitting for two and half hours on the rather narrow perch in my confessional - what a joy to hear so many confessions of both youngsters and adults, and more in the afternoon.
Cooper broke down the word cool - the Bishop had said how cool it is to be Catholic - and spoke to the youngsters about being:
Crazy for their Catholic faith
Open to the knock of Christ on the doors of their hearts
Obedient to the call of Christ
Loving of God and neighbour.
Father Ben Hasse gave a beautiful teaching to small groups of 50 about Eucharistic adoration, quoting St Jean Marie Vianney and his own experience of hearing the call of the Lord as a result of Eucharistic adoration. There were other workshops that I was not present at due to being in the confessional.
In the afternoon there was a 'Stump the Bishop' session in the Baraga Gym across the road during which Bishop Sample answered all questions - goofy and profound - the kids were anxious to put to him.
The day finished with Mass during which the Bishop preached passionately about the call of Christ with reference to the call of Jesus to Zachaeus. At the end of Mass the Bishop blessed rosaries and distributed them to each of the young people individually.
A great day - please God it will result in the deepening of the love of Christ and His Church in these middle schoolers and to many priestly and religious vocations, as well as to Holy Marriage or a holy single life.
