Diatribo 2023: Teens Spend Weekend Hanging Out with Jesus

On 28 & 29 October 2023, 23 secondary catechism students of NBVM Church attended a day camp conducted by Paul Julianose and the Seeds Ministry. Called ‘Diatribo’, which is a Greek word from the Gospel of John that means ‘to rub in’, the camp aimed to be a time of diving into the amazing journeys the Saints have taken and how spending with Jesus transformed their lives.

Over the two-day camp, the participants had the opportunity to look deep into the lives of several Saints, including Pope St John Paul II, Blessed Carlo Acutis, and St Therese of Lisieux, and learn how they placed God at the centre of their lives. Paul and the Seeds team engaged the teens in discussions on how the virtues and values that these Saints held in their lives can be practiced in their day-to-day lives in today’s modern world, including in their interactions with family and friends, social media behaviour, and also in how they see themselves as God’s children.

The highlight of the weekend was the evening of healing before the Blessed Sacrament. Paul led the teens through a reflection of their lives from conception to the present, inviting them to offer every wound and hurt that they have experienced to Jesus, present in the Blessed Sacrament, and in its place, receive His healing and love. The team also prayed over each teen individually, a powerful experience of healing and affirmation of God’s personal love for each of his children.

On the last day, parents were invited to a session conducted by Brenda Julianose, a Seeds team member who is also a licenced counsellor, who shared with parents some of the struggles and challenges that their teenage children face today, particularly with mental health. The parents also had the opportunity to share their own experiences and raise any questions they might have, as Brenda offered helpful insights to them. The final session was a combined parent-child session, where they each attempted the quiz to discover their Love Language and share their answers with each other. The camp culminated with a beautiful healing and prayer session for parents and children led by Paul.

It was truly a meaningful and memorable weekend for the teens who participated in Diatribo 2023. The parish is indeed grateful to Paul and the Seeds Ministry for leading the teens through a weekend of praise and worship, games, and sharing of personal testimonies, as well as for their friendship and big-brotherly/sisterly love for these young ones, patiently listening and responding to their many questions and comments.