Holy Cross Church in the Bronx will host a three-day Young Adult Retreat, planned in conjunction with the Noche Blanca Ministry of the Diocese of Paterson. The gathering will be conducted in English and Spanish.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The event, to be held from Friday evening, January 16, to Sunday afternoon, January 18, is called \u201cWarriors of Light\u201d (Guerreros de Luz). It will be inside the parish Retreat Center, which is on the church property, 610 Soundview Ave. Organizers invite young adults ages 18 to 35 to \u201cenjoy a weekend young adult retreat! Holy Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, praise and worship, inspiring talks, confession, opportunities to encounter Jesus, grow in your faith, and meet other Catholic young adults.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Father Vincent Druding, Holy Cross parochial vicar, will be among the main speakers, and he will celebrate the closing Mass Sunday afternoon. Musicians will include vocalists Marisel Rodriguez and Brianne Nealon. The church\u2019s Jesus in Zion Ministry is the parish\u2019s lead organizer of the retreat; the ministry\u2019s gatherings are conducted in Catholic Charismatic style.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Retreat aims to form \u2018warriors of light\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis retreat is designed to help young adults with their faith formation so that they can go out and be the light of Christ, and so the retreat is called Warriors of Light,\u201d Guelmis Tavarez, director of Noche Blanca Ministry, told The Good Newsroom. \u201cIt\u2019s important that they know that they can be a light, and that they can help illuminate others to know Jesus.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tavarez, who will also be a retreat vocalist, noted that with societal challenges of present times, retreat attendees will be guided to be strong in the faith, \u201cto be a light in the darkness, with the Word of God.\u201d He said registration is full at 60, but there is a waiting list.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The New York archdiocesan Office of Youth Ministry, Young Adult Ministry, and University Apostolate have helped promote the retreat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Holy Cross Jesus in Zion Ministry offers a Catholic Charismatic Renewal approach. In the Old Testament, Zion is the chosen place where God desired to dwell and where he would invite all the tribes and nations to go up to praise the God of Israel, coordinators have noted, adding that Christ is \u201cthe fullness of the revelation of the God of Israel and to him belongs all praise and honor and glory forever and ever.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n