September 2002 Call to Action News

Younger CTAers step "Out of the Ordinary" at summer retreat

by Maureen Kelleher

In late July, nearly 40 young adult Catholics from around the country, and two all the way from We Are Church Youth in Germany, gathered at Cabrini Retreat Center outside Chicago for a weekend truly out of the ordinary. Not everyone would think to start a retreat by banging on a pot with a long-handled spoon. CTA board president Mary Ann Mueninghoff did, in tribute to the women of Guatemala, who first stopped domestic violence in a village by beating on pots, then took their protest to the capital to force the Guatemalan military to reveal what had happened to their disappeared loved ones.

It takes ordinary people and ordinary things to create extraordinary change. Mary Ann asked us to introduce ourselves by telling what issue rouses such passion in us that we would bang a pot for it. Though some preferred to hum a kazoo or blow bubbles, the group brought forward a dizzying variety of issues that inspire us, from new visions of ministry to the struggle for justice to building peace in homes and across the globe.

The retreat team - Laura Grindstaff, Mary Hawk, Patty Hawk, Claire Noonan, Rachel Pokora, and Karon Van Antwerp - gave thoughtful reflections on their own faith journeys. Retreatants gathered in small groups to share their own experiences. As a large group we shared names and stories of personal saints. Mary Hawk offered a quotation from St. Gregory: "Becoming a friend of God is the only thing worthy of one's aspirations."

Saturday afternoon was free time. Some took time for private reflection or even a nap. Some spent it strategizing ways to connect with more young, reform-oriented Catholics, others in a rousing round of Marco Polo in the indoor pool.

On Saturday night, small groups spent time writing new commandments to govern our struggling world and its issues. Here's a sampling:

Thou shalt respect the universe, earth and all its creatures, and share in its resources equally.

Thou shalt return abundantly to God from the gifts you have been given.

Recognize your responsibility to work for justice.

There shall be no war.

Perhaps the simplest form was credited to the band, Creed: "Just give love to all."

Even in presenting our commandments, we followed a very important new one: "Give laughs to the laughless." One group presented their commandments show-style, singing "Ain't no mountain high enough" between each one, and ending with Aretha Franklin's all-time hit, "Respect."

Respect for all leads to an appreciation of the divinity within all created beings. In our closing prayer, Mary Ann led us in saying the Sanskrit word "Namaste" to ourselves, one another, and the world around us. "Namaste" is a greeting that means "I bow to the divine in you." When we bow to the divine in each other, we are one.

"I was really struck by what an awesome group of people were gathered there," says retreatant Michelle Scheidt. "I was inspired by the depth of faith, commitment to the church, and justice-based work that people were involved in. Many also had significant theological education. There was a real wealth in the room. We are the church, and what an amazing group we are!"