God is so good! We welcomed 33 to the TEC community at TEC 282 on Feb. 23-25, 2024. The retreat was held at St. Joseph Church & School, Quad Parishes, in Green Bay. After two postponements due to a lack of volunteers, TEC 282 gathered a full team. They put together a phenomenal retreat experience. Here are some of the highlights.
International Retreat & Prayers for Ukraine
TEC 282 had a distinct international feel to it. Not only did we have 15 Global Outreach students, we also had about 10 Hispanic teens from St. Peter and Paul, Weyauwega. One of the Global Outreach TECites was from the Ukraine. We marked the second anniversary since the start of the war with Russia. Listening to her talk about her dad in the military and her country in peril made a far-away, global problem much more personal. May God hear and answer our TEC 282 prayers for Ukraine. We continue to pray for a peaceful resolution and healing for this hurting nation.
Seminarians & Vocation Awareness
TEC 282 also had a vocational feel to it. The three seminarians in their Kairos year joined the team for supper and prayer on Thursday night. And as an added bonus, seminarian Matthew Schumacher was home from St. John Vianny College Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. He presented a talk on Saturday night. What fun it was to hear him speak about the sock races during his TEC. On a more serious note, he talked about peace in the midst of suffering as he introduced the song “It is Well with My Soul.” He also shared memorable stories of his spring break trip and the peaceful spirit of St. Pope John Paul II.
Mountain Top & Lenten Journey
Making TEC 282 during Lent added a deeper religious meaning to the weekend. We prayed the Stations of the Cross and celebrated the Sacrament of Reconciliation – two Lenten practices. On Sunday, we celebrated the Feast of the Transfiguration. Our Spiritual Director, Fr. Kevin Ripley, compared our TEC weekend to the journey of Jesus, Peter, James, and John to the mountain top. The TEC teams and retreatants encountered our own mountain top experience. They left their daily lives behind to spend time with the Lord. Fr. Kevin reminded us that Jesus accompanied the apostles down the mountain top, just like Jesus accompanied us when we left TEC 282 to return home.
Retreat Led by Priests & Deacon
We were blessed to welcome Fr. Matt Colle to the TEC community as part-time Assistant Spiritual Director. Also, we were blessed to have Deacon John Bundra return to TEC as part-time Assistant Spiritual Director.
Families on Retreat & Back at Home
Several of our team left little kids at home to work TEC, and we are so grateful they answered the call to serve. Additionally, we’re grateful for the caregivers who cared for the kiddos during TEC 282. Special shout-out to Craig Majeski (TEC 282 Director), Amanda Gerrits, Danielle Taylor, and Alex and Isabelle Carroll. TEC is a family affair for many. It was a blessing to see several second-generation TECites making a retreat. What a blessing to see family members volunteering – husband and wife, mother and daughter, brother and sister, and parents and son. TEC 282 attracted volunteers from as far away as Madison, Rosholt, and Sturgeon Bay.
A Catholic Retreat to Remember
The final highlights of TEC 282 were the delicious shepherd’s pie made from the lovingly peeled 50 pounds of donated potatoes and a rousing rendition of “The Papayas” song. After two delays, TEC 282 occurred – in God’s time. May God continue to bless the TEC 282 team and TECites, walking with them down the mountain and wherever life takes them.
