Peer Ministry Puts Faith In Action

By Mary Donovan

They’ve taken on the job of opening their thoughts and beliefs to people their same age. The retreat team of St. Mary's Confirmation program does all the work at the Confirmation retreat. They give the talks, they discuss issues and above all they give personal witness. This is peer ministry.

Leaders of the retreat team are Kara Crossman and Kelsey Loftus, Shrewsbury High School seniors who were confirmed last year. Kara and Kelsey are enthusiastic about working with people close to themselves in age.

"It’s fun, it’s great," They said almost as one.

Harry Duchesne, coordinator of high school religious education said peer ministry is a very successful method of communicating.

"It's the most effective way," he said. "These team members are stressing their faith to peers – the same age – they relate a lot better to high school kids, they (the kids) relate a lot better to this retreat team than to a group of adults."

That's not to say the adults are not involved. The 20-member team was trained in the classic high school model by Harry, Paul Gannon, coordinator of youth ministry and Fr. Manny, he said. In addition, he, Paul and Fr. Manny are present for the retreat weekend.

The retreat component of the Confirmation program is divided into two sessions. The first session took place in the fall and the second will take place from March 31 to April 2. These retreats are held at the Oakhurst Retreat Center in Whitinsville. Half of this year's 102 candidates made the retreat in the fall and the other half will make the March 31-April 2 retreat

According to Kara and Kelsey, the entire retreat team is ready to go back for a second time around, the experience was so good.

"We’re excited," said Kara, or was it Kelsey or was it both of them?

The two leaders who are also Eucharistic ministers recruited their team.

"They are a youth minister's dream," said Harry. "Recruiting is often a headache."

Recruiting may have been hard for some people, but not for the girls and not this time. Both Kelsey and Kara had traveled to Georgia with the Habitat for Humanity trip last summer. They had spent two weeks working with Harry and Paul Gannon. Most of the people who responded had been on that trip, Kelsey said.

"They knew Harry," she said. "They knew the chemistry would be good."

The team, all of whom have been confirmed, lead the small-group discussions They give personal witness, said Harry. They talk about obstacles in prayer life. When a retreatant talks about having a struggle understanding evil, they can relate.

"This is faith in action," he said. "This is what it means to be confirmed - saying 'Yes' to faith."