By David Kilby | Correspondent

Teens from around the diocese, with roots in Haiti, Puerto Rico, Italy, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Philippines, Poland, Colombia, France, and more, came to Kujenga + PLUS, Jan. 11, in St. Robert Bellarmine Parish, Freehold, to share cultural experiences, learn how to build each other up, develop leadership skills, and celebrate Mass together.

The 82 teens at the retreat, representative of the diversity of cultures within the Diocese of Trenton, either chose to attend Kujenga + PLUS or were chosen by their youth minister to come because of their leadership potential, said Deanna Sass, director of the diocesan Department of Multicultural Ministry, which sponsored the retreat.

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The Swahili word “Kujenga” means “to build up,” explained Matt Greeley, diocesan associate director, Office of Communications and one of the retreat presenters, who noted that Kujenga retreats have often existed as a way to increase faith and build leadership skills among African American young adults.

Kujenga is a Catholic-based offering which began in the Archdiocese of Chicago in the 1970s under the guidance of Father Martin J. Carter, who was the director of the archdiocesan Office of Black Ministry. Over the years, Kujenga retreats expanded into other dioceses, including the Diocese of Trenton.

Sass explained that in adapting the Kujenga idea, the diocese created Kujenga + PLUS, broadening it to a multicultural initiative that promotes leadership and unity through service.

The weekend of the Baptism of Our Lord was chosen intentionally for the retreat because “we’re all united through our Baptism, baptized into the same family,” said Sass.

Emphasizing the multi-cultural nature of the retreat, presenter Gérald Charmant, who also serves as music minister for the Haitian community in Our Lady of Sorrows – St. Anthony Parish, Hamilton, led the youth in song throughout the day using a variety of musical styles and various languages, including Zulu, Creole, Spanish, and French. While participants often stumbled as they attempted to pronounce words from other languages, their efforts reflected their unity in faith.

Presenter Mari Marroquin, a student in Seton Hall University, South Orange, and youth leader in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton, spoke to youth about the tendency, in everyday situations, to bring others down through an unkind word without even noticing, adding that it’s just as easy to turn such situations around and raise each other up.

Widian Nicola, a licensed social worker and member of St. Ann Parish, Lawrenceville, challenged the teens to build the largest tower they could with just some tape, a paper clip and the newspaper roll. Repeating,  “This is not a competition!”

Nicola helped teach the youth how to focus on working together rather than bringing others down.

In his presentation, “Shine On,” Greeley used a large sun with many rays as a visual representation of the many gifts teens contribute to the Body of Christ, and explored how teens often hold themselves back from shining Christ’s Light in their day-to-day lives. The teens had time to share with one another some of the main reasons they fear to shine, as well as how they can support and encourage one another to shine brightly, even when they are afraid.

While working together through discussions and other challenges, the youth formed bonds with others from across the diocese through small groups made up of youth from varying parishes. They evaluated their parish participation, discerning how and where they can plug in more, share their voice and their light more generously and not feel that they are inadequate or that they need to wait until they’re older.

Team building activities helped the teens work on skills to recognize all that “the other” brings to the table, and that collaboration involves mutual respect and an openness to someone they might name “stranger” but with whom they really share the central fact that they love God and are one in the Eucharist.

Affirming Marroquin’s presentation, participant Marisa Anderson, St. Ann Parish, Lawrenceville, said, “When we speak positively, we affect other people positively, and when we speak negatively we tear them down.”

“We should be considerate of how we treat others and be a role model,” added Josué Casiano of St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton.

Kelly McCormack, youth minister of CHRYSM youth group in St. Martha Parish, Point Pleasant, said Kujenga was a good chance for the youth to gain more experience in leadership, break out of their shells and work with others their age.  “They need other friends in the diocese,” she said.

Joseph Guth, a youth from St. Rose of Lima Parish, Freehold, reflected on a video the group watched, “The Butterfly Circus,” starring Nicholas James Vujicic, an Australian evangelist born without arms or legs.  Guth said the story was inspiring because it shows how someone can do a great deal even when greatly disadvantaged. “It makes you realize how much you can do when you don’t have those disadvantages,” Guth said.

At the close of the retreat, Greeley observed, “Many teens shared how hard it is to stand up, to speak up as Catholics, with their peers and even with their teachers, but they came away from Kujenga + knowing that they don’t stand alone and owning their responsibility to shine brightly.”