While many teens spend the summer playing video games and
watching TV, 111 young women disconnected from technology for
one week to consider their life’s vocation at FIAT Days
discernment camp at Mount St. Mary’s University in
Emmitsburg, Md., July 12-16.
Hosted by the diocesan Office of Vocations, FIAT Days is a
five-day overnight camp for young women between the ages of
13 and 18 that provides the opportunity to recognize a call
to holiness within their lives that will guide them
throughout the discernment process.
This call to holiness is uniquely illuminated by religious
sisters from various orders that lead large group
meditations, provide structure to small group discussions and
even join the girls in sports tournaments throughout the
week.
“The beauty of FIAT Days is that the young ladies of our
diocese get an opportunity to live in an environment that
gives them a window into what it would be like to live as a
religious sister in formation,” said Father Joel D. Jaffe,
the director of the Office of Vocations. “The goal is to
spend five days living together with religious sisters and
other discerners to create an openness to God’s call,
whatever that might be.”
Although discernment can be very challenging for some,
15-year-old Cecilia Haislmayer believes that FIAT Days
eliminates some of the stress associated with choosing a
vocation.
“You didn’t think discerning could be this simple,” said
Haislmayer. “I always thought of discernment as something
really challenging and hard that takes so much time and that
you won’t figure out until you’re too old. FIAT showed me
that it doesn’t have to be that way. This experience has been
life-changing for me.”
Sister Maria of Abba of the Order of the Sacred and
Immaculate Hearts of Jesus and Mary emphasized the importance
of allowing young women to learn about religious life from
members of religious orders.
“I think the main thing that helps girls discern in these
FIAT camp days is the presence of other religious sisters
joining them in their activities, telling their vocation
stories and helping them to see that the religious are not
superhuman,” said Sister Maria. “They are just like them, and
God chooses whom He will. He chooses all different kinds with
all different personalities.”
Kateri Christe, 15, returned to camp for a second year
because she enjoyed seeing a new side to religious sisters.
“Everyone thinks sisters are so holy because they spend all
their time praying and never do anything fun, but they get
out here and they play sports with you,” said Christe. “Being
able to play soccer or basketball with the sisters is just so
awesome. You realize there’s actually a person behind the
habit.”
For Maria Carneckis, 15, FIAT Days provided her with the
tools necessary to escape a sense of complacency in her
faith.
“Before coming to FIAT, I was doing everything necessary to
be considered an OK Catholic – I would attend Mass and I
would say the rosary, but my heart wasn’t in it,” said
Carneckis. “Throughout this experience, the sisters have
helped me see that there is something out there that is
bigger and that could be more fulfilling than my selfish
goals. By making prayer the center of my day, I have become
much happier. FIAT has been a huge turning point in my life.”
While some girls were initially fearful of attending the camp
because they believed they would face pressures to enter the
convent, camper Cecilia Bockrath said that FIAT Days gave her
an opportunity to consider all her options away from the
distractions of the modern world.
“FIAT has helped me step back from where I am and who I am
and what I’m doing in order to take a look at where I am and
who I am and what I’m doing,” said Bockrath. “By providing me
with the tools necessary to understand all vocations, the
camp has helped me take the first steps in figuring out how I
am meant to help the world. It’s an amazing opportunity and
no one should miss it.”
Willis can be reached at [email protected].
