NBVM Confirmation Camp at Domus St Anne
We, NBVM confirmands, have prepared ourselves for this mission of discipleship by faithfully attending Catechism classes and learning about the Holy Spirit and our need for Him in strengthening and deepening our relationship with Jesus as our Lord and Saviour for a year.
Dec 18, 2014
By D’vina Cassandra Shanker
We, NBVM confirmands, have prepared ourselves for this mission of discipleship by faithfully attending Catechism classes and learning about the Holy Spirit and our need for Him in strengthening and deepening our relationship with Jesus as our Lord and Saviour for a year. A week prior to the Confirmation on Nov 8, we had a two-day Confirmation Camp at Domus St Anne, Bukit Mertajam in preparation for the sacrament.
The camp focussed on the theme Christ, be our light. The camp was facilitated by NBVM parishioners: Vernon Fernandez (Lead facilitator), Prakash Lachmanan and Sheila Damaraj, and Maryann Robert. Through games, activities and discussions, they helped us learn how to be Christ centred in our relationships with our peers. our parents and other people whom we meet in our lives as we are called, chosen and sent to share the Good News, bringing hope to the world.
Uncle Vernon started the camp with a game of Captain Ball to break the ice. We were divided into two teams, with players and cheer groups. The game was stopped several times, for the teams to re-group and think ‘out of the box,’ while focussing on Christ to create winning strategies and emerge as winners. It was discovered that through team work, cooperation, listening and following the instructions of the leader were the winning strategies of the winning team. It became clear that we need Christ and the Holy Spirit to lead us in order to be effective Christians in life.
Husband and wife team, Uncle Prakash and Aunty Sheila, introduced the art of communication through a lively talk “Making the Cut”. Through role-playing, they helped us discover various ways of communicating with our peers, our parents and others whom we will meet as adults. We were reminded to follow Christ in the way we communicate with one another.
Maryann Robert conducted a healing session for the participants as she believes “one’s heart needs to be healed completely before being confirmed.” We learnt to forgive all those who had hurt us. The session ended with us washing one another’s feet, following the footsteps of Jesus, as a lesson in humility and servitude.
The next morning, being Sunday, we attended Mass at the Church of St Anne. After Mass, Uncle Vernon gave each of us an envelope with our name on it. Then we hung our envelopes on a string. All of us were requested to write the positive qualities of the participants on small pieces of paper and to put them into these envelopes respectively. The envelopes were later given to the person named to be read. Everyone felt uplifted and affirmed.
Uncle Vernon then continued with a session on how to love and appreciate our parents whom we have taken for granted. Later in the day, we sang the popular song “You Raise Me Up” as a tribute to our parents who were invited for the last session. At the end of the song, as tears flowed freely, we ran and hugged our parents in love and gratitude.
Source: (Confirmation Class 2014 NBVM)
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