EMMITSBURG – Incense rose, voices sang and young hearts were turned toward Christ at Mount 2000, the yearly eucharistic retreat for high schoolers hosted by Mount St. Mary’s Seminary.
This year’s event attracted 1,140 retreatants, including 489 from the Archdiocese of Baltimore, who packed Knott Arena, a basketball court converted into a grand chapel for the weekend. They heard stirring speechings, attended Mass and participated in eucharistic adoration. More than 720 people received the sacrament of reconciliation.
Henry Nguyen, a Mount seminarian from the Archdiocese of Tulsa, Okla., and this year’s co-emcee, explained that the theme, “The Sign of Contradiction,” unfolded over three days: first recognizing Christ crucified as the sign itself, then embracing that love personally and finally returning home prepared to live as signs of contradiction in a world in need of God’s love.
Kevin Ward, a Mount seminarian from the Archdiocese of Colorado Springs, Colo., and a co-emcee, said participants “come out of themselves so much more” over the course of the weekend (Feb. 6-8).
“You always start nervous when you come, and I feel you see a big change on Sunday morning after adoration,” Ward said. “There is just this freedom people have, freedom as children of God to just be themselves.”
Melanie Andrade and Madelyn Nieto of St. Timothy in Walkersville were among 140 participants from their parish, which sent the largest delegation from the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
“The community here, everyone opens up to each other,” Nieto said. “You can get rid of the vulnerability you were feeling and confide in other people.”
Andrade added that it’s a good experience to see people from other parishes and connect with a “good group” of people who are Catholic.
“I’ve met so many new people here, I definitely have a new community,” said Mario Dama, from the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Homeland.
Lisa Hunt, a consecrated virgin from Colorado Springs, and Father Ricky Malebranche, a priest of the Diocese of Arlington, Va., and a Mount alumnus, were among the keynote speakers.
“We have been transformed; we are meant to go back into the world. How do you take the gifts and passions God has given you and bring it into the broken world?” asked Hunt.
Father Malebranche said “we either become a sign of contradiction or a contradiction to the sign.”
In the Feb. 8 closing Mass, Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore said he hoped all who attended the event encountered the love of Christ.
“Looking out this morning, seeing all of you, I see a sign of the neverending love of God, a sign of hope,” Archbishop Lori said. “Christ is calling a new generation to follow him and you are responding. You are loved by God, more than you can ever know or imagine.”
Mount 2000 included praise and worship music with the contemporary band Damascus Worship and the sacred music group Floriani.
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