Ave Young Women's trip offers prayer, fellowship and discernment

By RENEE WEBB
Content and Design Coordinator

The Ave Young Women’s Retreat, a spiritual trip held June 2-5, provided participants with a chance to pray together, visit religious communities and have some outdoor recreation.

Organizers Megan Ulrich of Ascension Parish of Boone County and Sandra Hildreth of Our Lady of the Plains Parish of Calhoun County accompanied 18 young women on a journey visiting sites and communities in Omaha, Gretna and Lincoln in Nebraska.

“While Megan and I ‘planned’ the trip, the Holy Spirit guided the trip – so many things that we could not have planned out made the trip even more impactful than anything we could have engineered,” said Hildreth, who is the DRE at Our Lady of the Plains. “We had the opportunity to learn so much from these young women throughout the week and it was a blessing to be part of their journey.”

Ulrich, DRE in Boone, said the overall reaction to the trip was very positive and many of the young women said they wished the trip was longer.

“They really enjoyed the beautiful churches were visited,” she said. “They also commented a lot about how joyful the sisters we met were.”

The women had organized the trip as a way to give the young women a chance to have some direct contact with religious sisters.

Discernment 
A few of the participants recalled what the sisters said about discerning their life’s vocation.

“This Ave trip was a reminder that God isn’t asking you to do anything too crazy, he just wants you to take that next step through the doors he has opened for you and as long as you do that, you are going to be okay,” said Faith, a participant.

Another participant, Joanna, noted that one sister mentioned you don’t need to know how

everything in life is going to play out. The sister said, “You just need to walk through the next open door.”On the first day, they stopped by St. Cecilia Cathedral in Omaha before staying in cabins at Platte River State Park.

“While we chose St. Catherine of Siena as the patron saint for our journey, we had to add St. Cecilia as we went throughout the week as she fully inserted herself into this experience in all the best ways,” said Hildreth.

On day two, the group prayed the Stations of the Cross at the Cloisters on the Platte and visited the Holy Family Shrine. They also visited the School Sisters of Christ the King and had some recreational time hiking, canoeing and kayaking before attending Mass at St. Patrick Church in Gretna.

“The day we visited the outdoor Stations of the Cross at Cloisters on the Platte, it was pouring,” described Ulrich. “We decided to buy ponchos and go through with it anyway and all of the girls said it was more prayerful with the rain - to be able to take on a little of Christ’s suffering. The rain also brought out the beauty of the statues and made them seem more real.”

Since they were a bit cold, she noted the School Sisters made them hot cocoa and cookies.

Spiritual retreat
On the third day the group participated in a retreat from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. hosted by the Sister Servants of the Holy Spirit of Perpetual Adoration, known as the Pink Sisters due to their rose-colored habit. The retreat included adoration, a talk and panel discussion from four young women – three of whom are discerning a vocation to religious life and one who is living the vocation of marriage.

After the retreat they visited the Newman Center at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. 

Ave trip video

There they were able to meet up with a brother and sister one of Ave participant that were being trained to be FOCUS missionaries. The group also attended Mass and adoration at UNL before capping the evening with a hike to a waterfall at the campground.

Stressing the role of the Holy Spirit involved in planning the trip, Ulrich said they were unaware of the FOCUS missionary training coinciding with their time in Lincoln. It provided the opportunity for the two siblings to tell the Ave group about that ministry.

On the final day of the trip, the group stopped for a little food and shopping at Gretna’s outlet mall before heading home.

Bonding with new friends
Ariana, a participant, said her relationship with God grew so much and she was able to meet so many people she never would have met if she had not participated.

“I think everyone should try something new. I came here not knowing anyone and I came away with a bunch of friends,” she said.

Amanda, another participant, called the trip blessed as so many people were praying for them.

“I made so many friends and I felt like the whole group’s connection was so deep because of our Catholic faith and this group as a whole was so open and so responsive,” she said.

Ulrich also commented on the bond that developed between the young women. Many previously did not know the other participants.

“It isn’t too often that they get to be around so many girls their age who are seeking the same closeness with Christ,” she said. “Many in our diocese don’t ever get to see or meet religious sisters so just interacting with them and experiencing the joy that they have in their vocation was so special. Whether these girls are called to religious life or not, I believe they gained some really valuable wisdom about discernment from everyone we encountered.”

Hildreth echoed Ulrich’s sentiments and added, “The chance for young women to explore their faith among new friends was beautiful to be a part of.”

The two extended gratitude to the parents who encouraged their daughters to attend as well as to Father Travis Crotty, director of vocations, and his administrative assistant Michelle Steinbach for assisting with the planning and funding of the trip.