Dear Parents & Candidates,
We are approaching the retreat on Sunday, March 12, 2023. To prepare for the retreat:
1. Review the below list of items to bring on the retreat for packing. Please complete the Retreat Permission Slip (Word & Fillable PDF) and submit here by January 31, 2023.
2. Please bring a snacks and beverage to share. Please do NOT include anything containing peanuts or peanut butter in particular.
Thank you for remembering this critical detail!
3. Continue praying for your son or daughter and have conversations about the possibilities of growing in faith and in their relationship with God through retreating from the stresses of the world (and from their electronic devices except in cases of emergency), through developing community, through reflection, and, of course, through prayer.
4. We do allow time for relaxation and fun, although this day will not have an overabundance of idle time. We discourage bringing homework because there will be no time to complete it, and it has a tendency to get lost.
5. Arrive at St. Michael’s Poplar Springs (Gym entrance) at 8:15AM on Sunday, March 12, 2023. Drop-offs will be in the parking lot. The bus will take the teens to Monsignor O’Dwyer Retreat House at 8:30AM. Retreat Leaders will be present and able to direct teens to the meeting room upon arrival.
Please be on time and have your teen ready to disembark the vehicle to prevent congestion.
6. Pick-up your teen at 8:15PM (Gym entrance) on Sunday, March 12, 2023 from St. Michael’s Poplar Springs. Retreat Leaders will be present to ensure that each teen leaves with a parent. The bus leaves O’Dwyer at 7:15PM.
7. We are providing the meals for the retreat, so if your son or daughter has a food issue or allergy, please be sure you have notified us on the permission slip by January 31, 2023 with the complete information needed to ensure a safe experience.
In all this, thank you for your continued support and encouragement of your candidate. It is through your efforts that we have the opportunity to support you in the sharing of the Good News of Jesus Christ.
If during the retreat the weather turns bad and we need to leave early, we will notify by sending out a Flocknote text and we will ask all the candidates to contact their parents by phone.
Sincerely,
Ted Burkhardt
Confirmation Retreat Information Sheet
The Confirmation Retreat (for 10th graders) is Sunday, March 12, 2023 from 10:00AM-7:00PM at Monsignor O’Dwyer – 15523 York Road, Sparks Glencoe, MD 21152. There will be a bus to take teens from the Parish to the retreat center and back.
Please complete the Retreat Permission slip, then submit the form here by January 31, 2023.
Please read the following and plan to arrive at St. Michael’s Church at 8:15AM for check-in. The retreat is a requirement and it is necessary for candidates to attend in-person. If you are unable to attend in-person for personal reasons, please email [email protected]. Parent pick up after the Retreat will be at 8:15pm.
As the retreat is on Sunday, we will have a Mass built into the Retreat program, so teens will be able to fulfill their Sunday obligation.
Food
The retreat center will be providing us with two meals – Lunch and Dinner. Cost was included in the confirmation registration payment – if you have not paid already, please pay here. The cook will make a specialized menu based on our group’s dietary needs. If you have special dietary needs, please note this on your permission slip. To give you an idea, the sample menu for Sunday is:
Sample Lunch: Wraps (Buffalo Chicken, Turkey & Provolone, Veggie), Burgers (Hamburger, Cheeseburger), Chicken Tenders, Salad (Potato, Macaroni, Garden, Caesar), Chips, Dessert (Cookies, Brownies, Cheesecake), Drinks
Due to the pandemic, you are welcome to bring your own food if that makes you feel more comfortable. However, due to their food license, all food brought into their facility must be pre-packaged and bought, rather than homemade.
Nuts: You may not open the package of anything containing nuts on this retreat. If you see kids with a nutty food, peanut butter included, please take it away from them to be returned to their parents. We may have a teen on this retreat for whom exposure to nuts (by breathing near nuts) would mean a life-threatening emergency. NO NUTS. Thank you
Dress Code
Dress respectfully, comfortably and appropriately for the forecasted weather as we will be walking between the meeting space, breakout rooms, and cafeteria. We will also be outdoors for some activities i.e. during free time, so bring extra layers of clothing. Teens should keep any items neatly in one bag, to be kept in the backpack area in St. Joseph’s Hall (main meeting space).
Bring Along
Bible (optional)
Journal (optional)
Pen (optional)
Blankets and towels for protective wear during sessions, but mainly for the outdoor free time (required)
Pillows (optional)
Cold weather wear (optional)
Rain jacket (optional)
Snacks
We ask teens to bring a snack and beverage to share with the group.
Cell Phones
Note: Electronic devices are not needed. We recommend bringing cell phones, so teens can communicate with parents if needed. We will take the cell phones from teens at check-in. A team member wearing gloves will place each cell phone in an individually labelled Ziploc bag. All cell phones will then be kept in a storage container. When cell phones are passed out at the end of the day, a team member wearing gloves will again distribute each Ziploc bag to the teens.
Emergencies
The emergency contact at the retreat is __________________. O’Dwyer has excellent cell service and Wi-Fi. I prefer you email or text me so in case I am busy, I can still communicate with you. Otherwise, feel free to call.
We are approaching the retreat on Sunday, March 12, 2023. To prepare for the retreat:
1. Review the below list of items to bring on the retreat for packing. Please complete the Retreat Permission Slip (Word & Fillable PDF) and submit here by January 31, 2023.
2. Please bring a snacks and beverage to share. Please do NOT include anything containing peanuts or peanut butter in particular.
Thank you for remembering this critical detail!
3. Continue praying for your son or daughter and have conversations about the possibilities of growing in faith and in their relationship with God through retreating from the stresses of the world (and from their electronic devices except in cases of emergency), through developing community, through reflection, and, of course, through prayer.
4. We do allow time for relaxation and fun, although this day will not have an overabundance of idle time. We discourage bringing homework because there will be no time to complete it, and it has a tendency to get lost.
5. Arrive at St. Michael’s Poplar Springs (Gym entrance) at 8:15AM on Sunday, March 12, 2023. Drop-offs will be in the parking lot. The bus will take the teens to Monsignor O’Dwyer Retreat House at 8:30AM. Retreat Leaders will be present and able to direct teens to the meeting room upon arrival.
Please be on time and have your teen ready to disembark the vehicle to prevent congestion.
6. Pick-up your teen at 8:15PM (Gym entrance) on Sunday, March 12, 2023 from St. Michael’s Poplar Springs. Retreat Leaders will be present to ensure that each teen leaves with a parent. The bus leaves O’Dwyer at 7:15PM.
7. We are providing the meals for the retreat, so if your son or daughter has a food issue or allergy, please be sure you have notified us on the permission slip by January 31, 2023 with the complete information needed to ensure a safe experience.
In all this, thank you for your continued support and encouragement of your candidate. It is through your efforts that we have the opportunity to support you in the sharing of the Good News of Jesus Christ.
If during the retreat the weather turns bad and we need to leave early, we will notify by sending out a Flocknote text and we will ask all the candidates to contact their parents by phone.
Sincerely,
Ted Burkhardt
Confirmation Retreat Information Sheet
The Confirmation Retreat (for 10th graders) is Sunday, March 12, 2023 from 10:00AM-7:00PM at Monsignor O’Dwyer – 15523 York Road, Sparks Glencoe, MD 21152. There will be a bus to take teens from the Parish to the retreat center and back.
Please complete the Retreat Permission slip, then submit the form here by January 31, 2023.
Please read the following and plan to arrive at St. Michael’s Church at 8:15AM for check-in. The retreat is a requirement and it is necessary for candidates to attend in-person. If you are unable to attend in-person for personal reasons, please email [email protected]. Parent pick up after the Retreat will be at 8:15pm.
As the retreat is on Sunday, we will have a Mass built into the Retreat program, so teens will be able to fulfill their Sunday obligation.
Food
The retreat center will be providing us with two meals – Lunch and Dinner. Cost was included in the confirmation registration payment – if you have not paid already, please pay here. The cook will make a specialized menu based on our group’s dietary needs. If you have special dietary needs, please note this on your permission slip. To give you an idea, the sample menu for Sunday is:
Sample Lunch: Wraps (Buffalo Chicken, Turkey & Provolone, Veggie), Burgers (Hamburger, Cheeseburger), Chicken Tenders, Salad (Potato, Macaroni, Garden, Caesar), Chips, Dessert (Cookies, Brownies, Cheesecake), Drinks
Due to the pandemic, you are welcome to bring your own food if that makes you feel more comfortable. However, due to their food license, all food brought into their facility must be pre-packaged and bought, rather than homemade.
Nuts: You may not open the package of anything containing nuts on this retreat. If you see kids with a nutty food, peanut butter included, please take it away from them to be returned to their parents. We may have a teen on this retreat for whom exposure to nuts (by breathing near nuts) would mean a life-threatening emergency. NO NUTS. Thank you
Dress Code
Dress respectfully, comfortably and appropriately for the forecasted weather as we will be walking between the meeting space, breakout rooms, and cafeteria. We will also be outdoors for some activities i.e. during free time, so bring extra layers of clothing. Teens should keep any items neatly in one bag, to be kept in the backpack area in St. Joseph’s Hall (main meeting space).
Bring Along
Bible (optional)
Journal (optional)
Pen (optional)
Blankets and towels for protective wear during sessions, but mainly for the outdoor free time (required)
Pillows (optional)
Cold weather wear (optional)
Rain jacket (optional)
Snacks
We ask teens to bring a snack and beverage to share with the group.
Cell Phones
Note: Electronic devices are not needed. We recommend bringing cell phones, so teens can communicate with parents if needed. We will take the cell phones from teens at check-in. A team member wearing gloves will place each cell phone in an individually labelled Ziploc bag. All cell phones will then be kept in a storage container. When cell phones are passed out at the end of the day, a team member wearing gloves will again distribute each Ziploc bag to the teens.
Emergencies
The emergency contact at the retreat is __________________. O’Dwyer has excellent cell service and Wi-Fi. I prefer you email or text me so in case I am busy, I can still communicate with you. Otherwise, feel free to call.