Toronto Celebrates Second Valdocco Retreat

By Ms. Madeline Corradi, Coordinator, Salesian Youth Ministry Toronto

(Etobicoke, ON – December 18) – If you ask me, our second Valdocco retreat in Toronto felt like a world away from our first. It was not because we reinvented the wheel or it didn’t meet our expectations; but because by watching this next group of students and young adults, we were blessed to witness so many unique gifts. This included the opportunity to learn new things about our program, our faith, our friends, and ourselves.

On the morning of Friday, November 29, as we dotted our i’s and crossed our t’s and handed out pizza to 22 high schoolers from around Toronto, I tried hard to hide a cross I carried. I suspect many people in the basement of St. Benedict’s Parish did the same, too. Would all these strangers get along? Although they stepped blindly into a retreat with strangers, this group of lovely young people embraced each other. They watched the core team with cautious eyes, wondering what the weekend would be like. They huddled close to their local groups at dinner and as we arrived at St. Francis Center. Eventually, all of them, by sharing their own stories of faith and crosses with the help of the young team leaders, opened up joyfully to encountering Christ.

Despite their initial hesitation and shyness, as everyone prayed, played, shared and learned together, a tiny community was built out in the Caledon snow and grew delightfully in strength. By becoming united through Salesian Good Nights, small group sharing, and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, we painted the retreat we knew from last February in new colors. We thank the retreatants from St. Benedict’s, Monsignor Percy Johnson, Father John Redmond, and Loretto Abbey for taking our canvas and giving it new life. We are grateful to them for joining in our mission and embodying what it means to be fishers of people.

We’d also like to thank all teachers and supervisors for working with and trusting us. We share our appreciation for the young and core teams, who put their hearts into the roles they were given. We thank Mary and the whole team at St. Francis Center, whose hospitality was never taken for granted. Finally, we thank our wonderful team of priests and staff at St. Benedict’s Parish. Without their continued support, we wouldn’t be able to host these transformative retreats.

Our second Valdocco retreat felt like a world away from the first. It was no longer just about getting a retreat off the ground. We have done it twice, and we will do it again. This November, we were reminded of what it really means to retreat—to lean on our community, even if we didn’t know we had one, especially when things feel heavy. It also means to know in our souls that we are loved, that we are enough, and that we matter.

May we all walk through our lives a little lighter now, together.