Testimonies
I have been to Quo Vadis Days for three years, and as I reflect
more and more on each year’s experience, I feel deeply
grateful to Father Cihak and my God, calling me to “some
definite service”.
Quo Vadis Days has been an awakening experience
to the constant reality that living as a Christian and a true
man is inseparable from heeding the Lord’s call to a specific
vocation He has prepared for me. The true Christian ‘hero’
or the ‘true man’ is what we all, especially boys,
aspire to. QVD reminds me that such a goal is possible only
with Christ and through our Blessed Mother; that is, with prayer
and an entrusting communication with Him Who is the Author of
my life accompanied with a complete consecration to The Blessed
Virgin Mary. Furthermore, QVD constantly reminds me that such
communication with Our Lord and His Mother is inseparable from,
and is really identical to, the constant awareness of what God
wants of me, whatever it is, at this moment and in my entire
life. And through this, QVD sparks in me the prayerful awareness
of the concrete reality of my ‘definite service’
in the army of Christ.
As other QVD campers have commented, we pray the Divine Office
at morning and evening and have daily Mass. Another peak during
the camp is Confession and Benediction. These last two events
are what remain with me most intensely. I can still vividly
recall the intimate wonder and reverence that tingled in the
air at Benediction; it was an unforgettable moment of intense
listening to Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. Then each Confession
at QVD was an unforgettable experience in itself. Of course,
it is never required that everyone go to Confession, but I can
testify that (to borrow a phrase) if anything is worth doing
in life, Confession is one of them. There was much preparation
at QVD for Confession, but again, the amount of preparation
itself was up to the individual’s leisure and comfort.
I find Confession so crucial at any time, but especially during
a retreat as through Confession Christ purifies your vision
and sets things square for you through His mercy… and
after Confession, there you are, ready to begin anew honestly
and to listen to God’s call to Life in your life.
I cannot help mentioning that Quo Vadis Days is also so much
fun! As others have mentioned, there are sports of every kind,
hikes, and jovial but exciting events – all in the context
of the overwhelming realization that Christ is calling us daily
to listen to His Divine plan for us now and forever.
- QVD camper, age 15
"I
have been going to Quo Vadis Days for two years. I go
to the camp because it is fun, and I get to spend time with my
fellow bothers and learn about how God works in people’s
lives. While at the camp, you live a life similar to the seminary
saying the Divine Office and going to Mass. I encourage anyone
who wants to learn more about his faith to come and take part
in this camp. It is both fun and educational and one of the coolest
camps I have been able to go on."
—Camper, age 16
“Quo Vadis Days is one of the greatest experiences I
have ever had. It has given me the opportunity to learn about
the priesthood from people who have followed God’s call
and lived as priests. The powerful vocations stories I heard
has changed my approach to prayer. While I have learned many
new ways to pray using the Scriptures and prayer books, the
biggest change has been the content of my prayer. Because of
my experiences at Quo Vadis Days, I spend more time meditating
and praying to understand God’s will, and less time praying
for what I, or the other people around me, think they want.
Quo Vadis Days has helped me to realize that God has a plan
for my life, even when I don’ in thet realize it. My experiences
at Quo Vadis have been invaluable and I would definitely recommend
it to anyone able to attend.”
—Camper, age 19, who has attended QVD for 5 years
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