Sponsor Retreat Days for Young People in Iraq
Monday, February 1, 2016
The aim of the retreat days of which there will be four is to strengthen these young women and men in their life of faith and in their commitment to the Church
Every year the Archdiocese of Erbil organizes
a series of retreat days for young people. They are aimed particularly at those
young adults who for the whole year are deeply engaged in the life of the
parishes, such as catechetical work, or work in the youth groups. Given the
huge numbers of Christians who have been internally displaced from the cities
and villages of Iraq by the seizure of these places by the so-called Islamic
State, it is an immense challenge for the Church to provide pastoral outreach
to so many uprooted people.
These volunteer helpers, most of whom are
themselves also refugees, are performing a precious service in this respect. They
are demonstrating to other young people that it is worthwhile to stay on in
Iraq and get involved on behalf of the people and the Church there. In this way,
they can also help other people to see some future for themselves and decide
not to abandon the country.
From time to time we hear talk of a
"tsunami of emigration," which could potentially mean that one day
there will be no Christians left in Iraq. As recently as 2003 there were still
1.5 million Christians living in Iraq; today Christians number no more than
300,000. This means that over the last 12 years, an average of 100,000
Christians each year have left their country.
The aim of the retreat days – of which there will be
four – is to strengthen these young women and men in their life of faith and in
their commitment to the Church, and at the same time to be a sort of
"reward" for their involvement and hard work. The participants are
generally aged between 17 and 35. Each day will include four hours of
catechesis, together with Holy Mass, an opportunity for Confession, study and
meditation on scriptural texts, shared prayer, and group sessions with mutual
exchange of ideas and experiences.
This year somewhere between 1100 and 1200 young adults
are expected to take part in these retreat days, which will be led by a team of
25 priests, 65 religious Sisters and 40 senior volunteers. ACN has committed to
supporting the four sessions with a contribution of $32,500.
Will you give to sponsor retreat days for these young
Christians in Iraq? We are sure they will gratefully remember you in their
prayers.
Progress:
7%
Raised: $
2255
Goal: $
32500
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Code: 319-07-49
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