RC Mission Corps volunteers enjoy a moment of camaraderie.

Greenville, RI. December 13, 2010. “Of all the ways God wants me to grow, the most important is my relationship with him.” “I discovered the importance of confession this weekend!” The RC Mission Corps volunteers had a lot to share after finishing their week long get-together in Greenville, Rhode Island. The 38 young women gathered together from November 10th-16th to share their experiences of the first few months of their volunteer year with each other, and most importantly, with Christ.

With the novelty and excitement of a new team, house, and city wearing away and daily routine setting in, by November these young women were ready for a little vacation to bring back their original motivations for giving a year to Christ. Their annual “Get-Together” always provides needed time for prayer, formation, friendship, and fun.

The first day after arriving to Rhode Island, the young women enjoyed a day out together. It was a good chance for them to keep building the friendships they formed this past summer in Oxford, Michigan, where they spent one month preparing for their year and waiting for their assignments. 

The 38 volunteers are an international group: hailing from the United States, Canada, Mexico, Columbia, Chile, and England.  Their assignments are quite varied.  Some live in centers with consecrated women, others live with a team of other volunteers. They work in many different apostolates, including Challenge clubs, missions, helping out with diocesan projects and youth groups, schools, colleges, and universities.  One thing all the volunteers have in common is that they set aside time for daily prayer, which helps them build a relationship with Christ and gives them the strength they need for their apostolic work. 

To help them build their prayer life, several days of the get-together were spent in workshops and conferences about prayer and other things they need to know for their apostolic work. They concluded the week with a lunch with all the consecrated women who live at the formation center.  The meal was a real family moment, with both groups presenting songs and thanking the other.  The last night, the RC volunteers shared their experience with each other in an open forum activity.

One of the main highlights of the week for many volunteers was the day-long silent retreat. Isabel Errington is a volunteer from England who is giving her 2nd year as an RC Mission Corps volunteer in Dallas, Texas.  Isabel said that the main thing she’ll take back with her to Dallas after her week in Greenville was the importance of cultivating her relationship with God every day in prayer. “The retreat gave me time of silence to look over the last months with [Christ] to see how he’s been working.” It also helped to “renew the commitment I’m making out of love for him.”

In the busy life of an RC Mission Corps volunteer, it can be easy to forget what prayer is about, but Isabel said the prayer course during the week helped “remind us of what the essence of prayer is, which is an encounter with God.”

Another volunteer, Christina Condit, who is giving her volunteer year in Washington D.C., said that “a retreat in Rhode Island is worth leaving your job, your school, or your family for one weekend!” During this week she discovered the importance of confession in her life. She reflected, “I must invite Jesus in to look under the rugs and the dark corners of my soul... he will make that area beautiful!” She summarized her entire week saying, “You leave happy, REALLY happy!”