Morgan Werth
Staff Writer
The Bishop Carroll auditorium has been used for choir concerts, mass, Jostens meetings, musicals, and much more. On Saturday, October 19, high schoolers throughout the diocese walked into the auditorium with listening ears and open hearts. Leadership, evangelization, action and discipleship were on their minds. A man from Montana with curly hair stood on stage full of the Holy Spirit and words of wisdom he was ready to share with future leaders of the church. Throughout the day students listened, interacted, laughed, and prayed. All of this came together by the Diocesan Catholic Youth Board and Office of Faith Formation for the 2015 L.E.A.D. retreat.
“I have been to the leadership retreat for three years and this one was my favorite,” says Brynn Suellentrop, “Doug was an amazing speaker and really inspired everyone in the room.”
The retreat offered high schoolers the chance to learn more about themselves as leaders as well as an opportunity to learn about servant leadership from Doug Tooke, a father, youth minister, and professional speaker. The day began in the auditorium for mass then followed with an analysis for each participant to find out which prayer style works best for their personality. Then everyone broke into groups to learn about each prayer style; Franciscan, Dominican, Thomistic, and Augustinian. Everyone met back in the auditorium for their first talk from Tooke. The room was quickly filled with words reminding us of our humanity, that we are not God, and that He has a will for each of us which ends in sainthood.
“If we know God has conquered this world and he wants to conquer our hearts,” Doug Tooke tells to the room of listening ears, “we will not be afraid and can live a life of love, being a disciple for actions of love.”
Participants relaxed for a time while they ate lunch with their parish and took another analysis about the type of leader they are. After some group discussion, they met back in the auditorium for their second talk from Doug. This time everyone was told more specifically about the hows of servant leadership and living as a disciple of Christ
“Servant leadership is about putting others first and yourself last,” Senior, Melanie Deters shares when asked what servant leadership means to her, “it’s a form of self-sacrificing, agape love.”
As several students left the retreat Saturday evening with many new lessons learned and ways to improve leadership among themselves and within their parishes.