New St Cassian’s team celebrates Commissioning Mass
St. Cassian’s has welcomed a new team to start the academic year, and team training has been very busy for the new recruits.
Arriving the week of August 18th, the eight new team members (with a ninth on the way) took to the house with such enthusiasm.
Volunteers, Retreat Team and Brothers, L-R, Emma, Beti, Br. Bernard, Owain, Dani, Sofia, Br. Michael, Ale, Olivya, Val, Marco, Ariel, Pepe, Br. Jackson, Sara and Br. John
Joining the community at St. Cassian’s are Alejandra, Ariel, Daniella, Jose Esteban (Pepe), and Sofia travelling to us from Hermosillo, Mexico. Marco joins from Essex, after spending a year in Brentwood’s Walsingham House Retreat Centre. Olivya stays for her second year and is soon to be joined by fellow American, Fernando. Valentina comes from Bolivia.
Team training started on August 25th, and the first few weeks focused on building community, sharing our common home and what the work of the centre is. We got to go away for two days to continue working together and bonding as a wedding of past team members (Congratulations Dana and Enda) took place in the centre.
The team formally finished training on August 22nd having all become qualified first aiders, archery instructors, fire marshals, kitchen assistants, prayer leaders, small group game connoisseurs and brilliant examples of Lasallian hospitality living in community together.
During Team Training, on Saturday September 13th, the team participated in their commissioning mass. During the mass friends and family of the centre came to support the new team, with past team members present meeting their mentees for the first time in the year.
Special thanks to Heather Ruple and Jo Millea who came to help the team with Lasallian Spirituality and Art Workshops respectively.
The team are now ready, have hosted their first “hospitality group” and first day retreat, with the bulk of our residential retreats starting from September 25th.
Please pray for the team as they start their academic year together, living in community, and accompanying the young people who visit us on their faith journey.
