Local

FIAT campers ‘made for greatness’

Elizabeth A. Elliott | Catholic Herald Staff Writer

Families leave Mass and head to the picnic at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmistburg, Md., July 14. ELIZABETH A. ELLIOTT | CATHOLIC HERALD

CROP_LR_FIAT-2019-64.jpg

Bishop Michael F. Burbidge greets guests in line at the picnic dinner at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg July 14. ELIZABETH A. ELLIOTT | CATHOLIC HERALD

CROP_LR_FIAT-2019-75.jpg

Families enjoy a picnic dinner after Mass at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg July 14. ELIZABETH A. ELLIOTT | CATHOLIC HERALD

CROP_LR_FIAT-2019-81.jpg

Hosted by the diocesan Office of Vocations, FIAT Days is a
five-day overnight camp for young women ages 13 -18 at Mount St. Mary’s
Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md., July 14-18.

Bishop Michael F. Burbidge started the week with Mass and a
barbecue with the girls and their families.

During his homily, Bishop Burbidge said, “Dear young friends, the
Lord placed an invitation in your heart to be with you this week, and like
Mary, he wants your fiat, your ‘yes,’” he said. “You gave him your ‘yes’ — ‘Yes,
Lord, I will spend this time with you.’”

Bishop Burbidge thanked the parents for the witness of their
vocation and said the religious sisters in attendance are God’s instruments to
speak to the hearts of the campers. He encouraged the campers to take a look at
Mary and reflect on the words chosen, courageous, contemplative and compassion.

 

The camp’s theme, “Made for Greatness,” was taken from Pope
Benedict XVI’s quote, “The world calls you to comfort, but you were not made
for comfort; you were made for greatness.”

This week, campers will hear from a married couple on what
holiness in marriage looks like and a religious sister on holiness as a
religious vocation. And all along learn how to pray.

The 110 campers are accompanied by 18 religious sisters from nine
orders, and 20 young women staffers.

Cecilia Engbert, who attended as a camper for three years in high
school, is for the second year on staff.

“FIAT was the place where the real process of discernment began
for me. Before going to the camp, I knew what discernment of vocations was and
that I needed to be actively doing it in my life,” she said. “However, FIAT is
where I actually learned how to do it.”

Engbert said she knows how scary the words vocation and
discernment can be for young people. “FIAT acts as a prayerful and very fun way
of overcoming whatever fear and anxiety may accompany the thought of
discernment and that is why I have returned so many times,” she said. 

Joe and Lucille McLaughlin, parishioners of Holy Trinity Church
in Gainesville, have had their daughters to FIAT for several years. This year,
their daughters Theresa, Christine and Catherine are participating.

“It’s a wonderful program and a chance that we might be blessed
with a vocation (in our family) is a wonderful thing,” said Joe. “There are not
many dioceses that have a program like this.”

Lucille said the sisters are amazing and personable. “Any kind of
misconception you might think of a nun as being stoic or austere is wrong,” she
said. “They’re beautiful, warm, loving individuals.” 

Related Articles