Ave: Young women's trip, retreat set for June 2-5

By RENEE WEBB
Content and Design Coordinator

The Vocations Office is sponsoring two trips for young people this summer that allows time for prayer, discernment about what God wants for their lives and some fun.

The Quest trip for young men has been a staple in the Diocese of Sioux City for a number of years and thanks to the efforts of some parish catechetical/formation leaders this summer the Ave Young Women’s Retreat will be offered at the same time, June 2-5.

According to Megan Ulrich, DRE of Ascension Parish of Boone County and a member of the team organizing the trip for young women, much like Quest, Ave will provide a mix of prayer opportunities, visiting religious sisters, recreation and fellowship.

Ave is designed for young women who have completed eighth grade this year up to those who will graduate from high school this year. Organizers say the trip will be limited to 40.

“We will travel to Gretna (Nebraska) and stay at Platte River State Park there,” said Ulrich, who noted they have booked several cabins.

The itinerary includes stops at Holy Family Shrine in Gretna, the walkable Stations of the Cross at the Platte Retreat Center and the Newman Center at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. They will visit the Schools Sisters of Christ the King and the cloistered Pink Sisters. Recreational opportunities will include outdoor activities at the park and shopping.

The idea to organize a trip for young women came from Sandra Hildreth, director of faith formation for Our Lady of the Plains Parish of Lake City, Manson and Rockwell City. She mentioned boys from her parish attended Quest for the past few years and they came back home fired up in the faith.

“It’s been very positive for the community and we’ve seen them (the young men) engage in new ways,” she said. “I always felt bad that I couldn’t offer the same thing to girls.”

During the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis last summer, Hildreth told a fellow attendee – a religious sister – about how organizing a trip for young women was weighing on her heart. The woman religious informed her those types of trips were called nun runs.

The faith formation director saw so many different types of religious habits at the congress but realized that in rural areas of the Diocese of Sioux City many young women did not have the opportunity to be around religious sisters from which a vocation to religious life could potentially be inspired. She wanted her own daughters as well as other young women of the diocese to at least have a chance to meet women religious.

Upon returning from the Eucharistic Congress, Hildreth felt compelled to move forward with planning the nun run and received the blessing and assistance of the Office of Vocations. 

Ulrich joined effort as did Diane Rainbolt, who is DRE of the parishes in Alton, Granville and Hospers that will be merged into St. Donatus.

Like Hildreth, Ulrich and Rainbolt wanted to help with Ave because many young women are not  exposed to women religious or their communities.

Even if they are not drawn to a religious vocation, Ulrich said, “Just to encounter women religious, meet them and pray with them, we thought, would be a really good opportunity.”

“There are very few orders in the rural Iowa area, so they don’t have a chance to meet sisters and see their way of life and the joy that comes from that way of life,” said Rainbolt.

The organizers pointed out another big draw of this trip is the friendship and camaraderie that can be built among the young women.

“It’s always good to build community with our youth so that they recognize they are not the only ones who have a Catholic perspective or a Catholic vocation. There are other girls who think and believe like they do,” said Rainbolt. “In our culture today, there is a lot of loneliness so opportunities like this for our youth to come together are very important.”

When deciding about the name of the trip, the women wanted the name to come from a high school girl. It was Rainbolt’s daughter Hannah, who is a high school senior, who came up with the name Ave.

Through the years, a couple of nun runs have been held for young women in the diocese but if this trip goes well Ave could become more of a staple like Quest.

Cost of Ave is just $100, which includes all meals. Click HERE to register. Ulrich mentioned if someone is interested in the trip but cannot afford to pay, they should reach out to the organizers as the women do not want anyone unable to attend due to cost.

With questions or for more information contact Ulrich at [email protected] or Hildreth at [email protected].