What Is Awakening?

Bayou Awakening is a retreat for college age young adults (18-25), led by young adults, that focuses on deepening your relationship with Christ. There are several talks, including: "What is a Christian?" "Reconciliation," "Prayer," "Faith," "Discernment," "The Mystical Body of Christ." There are opportunities for small group conversation, quiet prayer time, mass, and confession. Join us for a great weekend of spiritual renewal!

The retreat is offered twice a year, in the fall and the spring.  Bayou Awakening #12 will be held on September 19 - 21, 2008, at Kickapoo Ranch, with Christene Villanueva as Coordinator and Paul Valdez as Rector.  The Theme for Bayou Awakening #12 is "Doubt no longer, but hope and believe" - John 20:25.

Awakening History

The full name of the retreat is "Awakening Your Life to Christ," and it was developed by Fr. Sam Jacobs when he was chaplain at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana, in 1974. Jacobs (who later became a bishop), said,

As our staff looked at how to best reach college and college-age young adults, we felt we had to first provide them with a "conversion" experience before a "catechesis" experience. We modeled it after the Cursillo and the Search retreat, which the team was familiar with. We saw it as an evangelization moment.... We wanted them to experience the joy of the Christian life. (Letter)

It has since spread to colleges and universities throughout the Southwest, including Texas A&M University (Aggie Awakening), University of Texas (Longhorn Awakening), Baylor (Bear Awakening) and Texas Tech (Raider Awakening). It's also been sponsored by the Diocese of Austin (LoneStar Awakening).

The first Awakening retreat in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston was Bearkat Awakening #1 in the spring of 2000 at Sam Houston State University. In 2001 two recent college graduates, Lubna Nabi and Guillermo Saade, approached Bill Cork, the Director of Young Adult and Campus Ministry, offering to work with him to establish a diocesan Awakening program. Because Houston's nickname is the "bayou city," the name chosen for the program was Bayou Awakening. Lubna and Guillermo put together a team of staff drawn from the Longhorn, Aggie, and Lonestar programs. The first Bayou Awakening took place shortly after September 11, 2001--a time when all were in need of time to get away and pray. The Rector and Coordinator were both Arab Americans, and the theme was, "We Are One Body."

Past Awakenings

Note: This list gives you the name of the retreat, its theme, when and where it was held, and the key staff. The Coordinator is in charge of the staff and making sure everything runs smoothly before and during the retreat. The Rector is the MC, the person up front through most of the retreat. The other staff heads listed oversee teams with a specific responsibility. Table staff are small group leaders, who interact most directly with the retreatants. Gophers "go fer" this and that so that the Table staff don't have to. Music staff lead us in singing. Cook staff keep us fed. Prep staff are responsible for some very important preparations.

Bayou Awakening #1: "We Are One Body"
September 21-23, 2001
Christian Renewal Center

Guillermo Saade, Coordinator
Lubna Nabi, Rector
Frank Platt, Gopher
Terri Gormanson, Music
Anthony Whistler, Prep
Bret Ramsey, Table
(No cook staff since we let the retreat center cook for us)

Bayou Awakening #2: "I Am the Vine, You Are the Branches"
September 20-22, 2002
Camp Kappe

Vivian De Jesus, Coordinator
Bill Cork, Rector
Chrissie Escobedo, Cook
Anna Kickirillo, Gopher
Denise Calvo, Music
Bret Ramsey, Prep
Jeff Girotto, Table

Bayou Awakening #3: "Give It up for God"
March 14-16, 2003
Christian Renewal Center

Jeff Girotto, Coordinator
Anna Kickirillo, Rector
Denise Calvo, Cook
Ashley Birkner, Gopher
Travers LaVille and Damian Ogier, Music
Michelle Crescini, Prep
Matt Hartfiel, Table

Bayou Awakening #4: "The Fire Within"
September 19 - 21, 2003
Christian Renewal Center

Karen Richards, Coordinator
Matt Hartfiel, Rector
Paul Branham, Cook
Stephanie Broussard, Gopher
Kevin Shipley, Music
Tim Peoples, Prep
Fred Sanchez, Table

Bayou Awakening #5: "Instruments of Peace"
September 17-19, 2004
Circle Lake Retreat Center

Fred Sanchez, Coordinator
Connie Villanueva, Rector
Maureen Johnson, Cook
Jeanette Perry, Gopher
Jeff Jimenez, Music
Richard Carrillo, Prep
Cathy Vo, Table

Bayou Awakening #6: "Fishers of Men"
September 16-18, 2005
Camp Kappe

Connie Vuong, Coordinator
Maureen Johnson, Rector
Michael Slovak, Cook
Nanette Villamiel, Gopher
Christene Villanueva, Music
Tim Semler, Prep
Ana Perez, Table

Bayou Awakening #7: "Fight the Good Fight"
March 24-26, 2006
Christian Renewal Center

Richard Carrillo, Coordinator
Cathy Vo, Rector
Jackie Lopez, Cook
Meg Ebner, Gopher
Christene Villanueva, Music
Veronica Wasielewski, Prep
Tim Semler, Table

Bayou Awakening #8: "Be Not Afraid"
September 22-24, 2006
Camp Kappe

Veronica Wasielewski, Coordinator
Jeff Jimenez, Rector
Jeanette Perry, Cook
Diana Martinez, Gopher
Mike Ambro, Music
Elizabeth Hotze Sanchez, Prep
Zharleen Salvino, Table

Bayou Awakening #9: "We Are Called"
March 16-18 2007
Kickapoo Ranch

John Lawlor, Coordinator
Zharleen Salvino, Rector

Jennifer Reed, Cook
Roxy Salvino, Gopher
Grant Crowell, Music
Preston Quintela, Prep
Ashley Duran, Table

Bayou Awakening #10: "Lord, Move Me"
September 21-23, 2007
Kickapoo Ranch

Ashley Duran, Coordinator
Luc Sokolowski, Rector
Susie Zinser Jacobs, Cook
Mia Migliaccio, Gopher
Adam Hymel, Music
Laura Brenner, Prep
Preston Quintela, Table

Bayou Awakening #11: I am the Light of the world!
Date: March 14-16, 2008
Location: Kickapoo Ranch

Jeannette Perry, Coordinator
Preston Quintela, Rector
Laura Brenner, Cook
Mary Vallery, Gopher
Christene Villanueva, Music
Paul Bas, Prep.
Jackie Lopez, Table

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