St. George Orthodox Christian Cathedral

Teen SOYO:
My Big Fat Lenten Lock-in

St. George Cathedral was so blessed December 6 & 7 to be in the presence of such beautiful people of the Southwest Region. On Friday night we welcomed teens from Oklahoma City, Dallas, and our sister parish in Wichita, St. Mary’s. Coming together in His Name, we began the retreat with Vespers followed by a delicious Lenten dinner prepared by Tony and Grace Barkett and David and Toni Sadler.

After this we gathered in the gym for fellowship and some exciting icebreakers. Jimmy taught us how important it is to have Christ occupy our days. One of the icebreakers was to make a clock on a paper plate and then schedule someone at each hour for a appointment. Because we did not have twelve hours for ice breakers each hour equaled about two minutes. In those two minutes we discussed anything from what we thought of Jimmy’s hair to our favorite food. At the end of the twelve hours we got in a circle, and Jimmy asked us a question that will never leave my mind. He asked, “How many of you had Christ on your schedule?” Of course none of us did because it was a game and we were just ‘meeting’ with our friends. This really made an impact.

When icebreakers concluded, we gathered for our first of three sessions with Seminarian Nicholas Belcher from St. Vladimir’s. The theme of the retreat was “The Fullness of Life in Christ”. We focused on the importance of Christ in our lives and how life without HIM is empty. All the hype the world has to offer is nothing with Christ. Nick was such a blessing and left us with many memories. After the first session, we had a big snowball fight outside. Although many came in with frozen fingers, the fellowship was incredible!

The following day, we began with Orthros in the Chapel and breakfast. Then Nick led us into session two. After this we drove to St. Mary’s, our sister parish, for their annual festival. We had wonderful food and enjoyed the fellowship. On our way back to the Cathedral we did a “drive-by happy birthday” to one of our beloved teens. Upon returning to the Cathedral, Nick presented his last workshop. We also had a very special visitor with us all the way from Toronto, Canada. NAC Teen SOYO President Alexa Younes spent the whole weekend with us and spoke a few words on the meaning of SOYO.

Believe it or not the weekend isn’t over yet. After that we met with kids from Big Brothers and Big Sisters for our second annual gingerbread house making. It was so much fun to see the kids smiles! We welcomed 30 Little Brothers/Sisters into our Cathedral home. In addition to the gingerbread houses, we also had much active time in the gym. We concluded our retreat with Vespers, and everyone departed for their homes.

It was a wonderful weekend and such a blessing to see so many beautiful faces coming together in Christ’s Name. God willing this retreat will keep getting bigger and we will see many more faces next year.

Ding dong! The doorbell rings. A bishop, a monk, a nun walk in…Sounds like the beginning of a joke you might hear on the campus of St. Vladimir’s or Holy Cross. But for the teens and faithful of Wichita, this is how the visit of our dear Sister Magdalen of St. John the Baptist Monastery in Essex, England all began.

Imagine a normal (a relative term) Monday night Bible study at the youth director’s home. The group had just finished saying the Lord’s prayer to bless the food. The doorbell rings. There’s always late comers, so no one thought too much of it…until we opened the door and a sea of black robes filled the home with light! What everyone expected to be a tardy teen turned out to be our beloved Bishop BASIL, Fr. Paul the Monk, and a special surprise direct from England, Sister Magdalen.

It would seem as if everyone would have been in a sort of frenzy, but on the contrary the teens welcomed their gift with warmth and love. No formalities, no frills, no fine china; just the teens, their beloved visitors, and paper plates. After the teens introduced themselves, Sister Magdalen began conversing with the youth about her coming to the Faith, life in England, and the monastic life. She told us about her interacting with the youth in Essex and expressed great sympathy for the religious apathy which is very prevalent in England. The teens asked questions and were greatly enlightened by Sister Magdalen. The evening ended with the chanting of the Troparion of St. Raphael.

Tuesday came, and Sister Magdalen attended the Ladies of St. George Christmas Luncheon. Later that evening, Eighth Day books hosted Sister Magdalen for an informal dialogue as well as a book signing. Many faithful came including our Orthodox Christian Fellowship. If one were to have looked in the window, one would have seen a very cozy setting of college students and others sitting on the benches and floor listening as if it were kindergarten story hour. Sister Magdalen shared with us her coming to Orthodoxy. One comment she made that really struck listeners was that before she accepted Christianity, she visited an Orthodox church with a group of friends. The tour was given by Fr. Anthony Bloom. She said, “Despite it’s Christianity, we went there.” It was the holiness that captured her. She also discussed the writing of her books and how they came to be by her strict obedience to Elder Sophrony’s wishes. She spoke of the relationship she and the others had with this blessed man who was a spiritual son of St. Silouan. By the end of the evening, a blanket of snow lay on city, but our hearts were warmed by the inspiring words of Sister Magdalen.

Another informal meeting took place as the college students met with Sister Magdalen for Wednesday lunch at Abram’s Café. That night Vespers were celebrated in the Cathedral and Sister Magdalen’s talk followed. Despite the heavy snow, many came from all over to hear her presentation. She spoke of raising children and focused on the balance that parents, teachers, and those working with you must instill in the children. She said that the Church is not something to be placed on our children’s shoulders as if it were some burden. Rather it is a lifestyle we offer the youth to accept by showing them examples and most importantly Christian love. She spoke of many ways we can apply practical theology into our homes and our daily lives.

Whether or not my door will ever welcome a bishop, a monk, and a nun again, I do not know. I do know however that through this visitor from England, a mark has been left on our hearts and we will not soon forget the wisdom which was bestowed to us. May the Lord keep Sister Magdalen in His hands as she ministers to those in England and even us here in Wichita through her writings and words.