During the school year, there are many ways to keep our faith. There are religion classes, prayers to start and end each day, adoration in the chapel, confession during empower hour, and Mass once every month. We also have freshman, sophomore, junior and senior retreats. However, once the school year is over, we can quickly forget to do many of these thing.So, here are a few things you can do over the summer to keep your faith.

Steubenville

Steubenville is a youth conference started by the Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio. Thousands of teenagers attend this retreat each year to strengthen their faith in Jesus Christ. While at the retreat, there are speakers, worship music, adoration, confession and small group discussions. Each speaker gives a talk on a specific subject that relates to teenagers. They help teenagers think about things that are important to the faith. This retreat helps teenagers and young adults evangelize. They tell us to go out and spread the good news of the Lord and to not be afraid. This faith filled experience can help all those who had trouble with believing or even those who just need clarification.

“It helps me improve my faith because it shows that there are so many people that will support you and help you along your path to heaven,” said sophomore Kate Nelson.

Everyone who is on the retreat or helping with the retreat is accepting and will gladly help you or listen to you. They will accept you for who you are, no matter what.

Steubenville will change your life. There is nothing better than spending a weekend growing in your faith with teenagers who are just like you.  

Christpower

Christpower is a week-long retreat held at St. Joseph’s in Cottleville. This retreat is for incoming freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors in high school and incoming freshmen in college. Each day of the retreat, students go out and do different service projects with their small groups. For example, they volunteer at nursing homes and crisis nursery, help with disabled kids, run a camp at the parish, collect cans, and more. These activities can get you up to 25 service hours, and they help you make new friends that will last you a lifetime.

“Christpower alone isn’t what helps improve my faith, it is the atmosphere of fellow teens striving to become saints and grow closer to our Lord and Savior, which makes it much easier to open up to God and to not feel weird about praying in front of others and feeling self-conscious,” said freshman Riley McAteer.

Whole Kids Outreach

Whole Kids Outreach is a non-profit organization based in Ellington, Missouri. This organization was started by Sister Anne Francioni in 1999 because of her commitment to help children, pregnant women and low-income families. Members of our Outreach club, including Mrs. Johnson, have gone on this mission trip for the past four years and are thrilled to be going again this year.

The members of the Outreach club usually help out with running the day camp for the children and help clean up the homes they live in. During the day camp, the members of Outreach do various activities with the children, such as swimming, arts and crafts and playing with the horses.

“We love seeing the smiles on the faces of the kids that we work with at the camp, and of the people whose houses we help clean up as well during our stay at Whole Kids… Some of the kids who attend the camp may have struggles at home, so it is important for us to do our best to ensure that they have a great time,” said sophomore Dania Salman.

“It showed me not to get caught up in the possessions of this world, but to appreciate what I already have and to focus on my faith journey over my possessions,” said junior Carlie Wyant.

This experience will also help you see that your electronics aren’t everything. I‎t is good to help others and not rely on your phones for everything.

So, if you want to keep your faith strong or make i‎t even stronger, try some of these things out this summer. You will have an amazing time and make new friends who are hoping to strengthen their faith, just like you.