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SONfest 2007 With the first World Youth Day in 1984, Pope John Paul II challenged and empowered young people to become the future of the Church and of the world. His initiative has led to many subsequent youth gatherings on parish, diocesan, and global scales. I was honoured to participate in the Diocese of Peterborough's fourth annual SONfest which was held this year from Friday July 27th through Sunday July 29th at St. Dominic's High School in Bracebridge.
The community which was developed at SONfest, between pilgrims and with our guests, was very rich and supportive. We were blessed to have Chris Padgett return as the keynote speaker for SONfest '07. During his 4 talks he challenged us to be radically Catholic and to model our lives after not only the example of Jesus but also after that of Mary. His sharing of his personal faith, and of his stories of personal ineptitude, helped us to work towards becoming more fully human. Each talk by Chris was followed by a small group discussion where pilgrims could discuss issues, questions, and share comments from the talk in an intimate environment. In addition to the excellent talks, we were also graced with incredible ‘praise and worship’ music led by Joe Zambon and Rick Kirschner and their two bands. St. Augustine would have been proud, who coined the phrase that singing is praying twice. Some of the notable events which I thoroughly enjoyed were the candle light procession and vigil, the living rosary, the nightly adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and the closing Mass which was celebrated by Bishop Nicola De Angelis. Pilgrims to SONfest were not only from the Diocese of Peterborough. We were happy to welcome youth from across Ontario, and a number of members of the religious community Famille Marie-Jeunesse based in Sherbrooke, Quebec. Additional guests included three of Blessed Mother Teresa’s Sisters, members Madonna House and a good number of Korean youth. On the whole, SONfest '07 was a great experience where I had a chance to explore my faith, make new friendships, and get away from the stress of day to day life. Personally, and on behalf of all the pilgrims present at SONfest '07, I would like to thank Bishop De Angelis, the people of the northern parishes under the leadership of Fr. Bill and Fr. Sany, all VEYO volunteers, CORCs, YACs, and other parish groups such as the K of C, CWL and many other volunteers for giving us SONfest ‘07. God Bless, |
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For SONfest 07 Event information, Click here
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SONfest is a weekend of camping, food, speakers, prayer, music, and fun which is organized by the Vocations, Evangelization & Youth Office (VEYO) for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Peterborough. I was late in registering for SONfest, but am very happy that I did as this year's events surpassed my expectations. 
