Youth 2000 (Bay Point CA) January 9-11, 2009

Youth 2000 is a Eucharist centered weekend retreat for the youth, lead by the CFR Friars based out of New York.

There are many talks focused on Spirituality, Chastity, Our Catholic Faith, and Jesus Christ.

The whole event was full of praise and worship......

For many, they are introduced to Jesus through the Eucharist,

and for the first time experience a personal relationship with him.

There is wonderful music and lively praise, worship, and adoration for Jesus in the Eucharist.

The entrance procession.

The Vicar General for the diocese was the presider of the closing Mass.

Here I am proclaiming the Gospel.

The Eucharistic prayer.

Even though the retreat was held in another diocese, they invited me to serve as a deacon.

A humble honor.

Here I am giving the precious blood to Mary.

One of our youth taking the blood of Christ.

Here is Max, he served as an altar server, it was one of many holy masses.

My beautiful daughter.

Each night the lights went dim and we sat in the quiet and spent time with our Lord......

On Saturday night, during Benediction, the Lord walked through the room and we were given an opportunity to be with him one-to-one, and touch the veil.

You would not believe how powerful this was......Hundred of youth and adults were in tears as the grace of God touched them somewhere so deep in their souls that it is almost unexplainable.

But yet, there was truly an encounter that is beyond denial, it pierced the soul.

These special encounters with Christ motivated the youth to confess their sins to the priests in holy confession.

He is my son Sean in contemplation during one of the talks from the Friars.

With so much intensity of self evaluation, here is my daughter Mackenzie and some friends having fun during a break.

We were blessed to have many religious brothers and sisters present for the retreat.

In California, and all the liberality, orthodox orders are almost gone.

There is something so holy and special about the presence of nuns in habits.

Here are the boys having some football fun during a break.

Go Girls!

Friar Hackysac.....

Quick, to the truck for a snack......

Is that a tailgate party?

The center of the room is designed with an altar to hold the Eucharist.

It is called the "Burning Bush."

After the initial Mass on Friday night, Jesus is placed on top of the burning bush, and then all the talks are giving with Jesus present.

24 hour adoration is kept at the retreat until the final closing Mass.

Here are some of our group on Friday night. We wore tie-dye shirts, all 60 of us.

Here I am with Father Joseph Mary at the Friday Night Mass, I was a Eucharistic Minister.

Our Shirts

My friend John.

My Beautiful Wife.

Mary, the Youth Coordinator.

At the closing of the retreat, the friars ask the youth if any of them feel that Christ might, just might, be calling them to a religious life.

Here are the youth that have felt something very special this weekend, a possible calling to a religious life, and they receive a special blessing to take back with them into their lives.