It was my family’s first time at a CL vacation. We didn’t know what to expect, but had heard that the resort was in the mountains of West Virginia, so we were all for it! I was introduced to CL by my dear friend, Jackie Aldrette. At Jackie’s invitation, my husband and I started attending School of Community meetings in Silver Spring. My daughter Lucy, who is 13 years old, had been attending the Knights, which is the middle school CL group led by Fr. Roberto. She clearly loved this group that guided her faith, and I began to yearn for the same sense of community.

Arriving late to the vacation, we missed the 8:30 pm Mass, but upon checking in were welcomed by Grainne and Tom and knew that we were among friends. The sun had already set and we were ready for bed. The next morning we joined everyone in the common room for morning prayer and Mass. I found it wonderful to start the day in a peaceful setting with prayer, and chanting in a single tone lent a commonality to everyone’s voice. There is something about praying in a group that makes it even more powerful. Tom spoke about how “true freedom is dependence on God.” This theme kept coming up in different ways throughout the vacation, and everyone seemed to appreciate its meaning more on Independence Day.

We were excited to learn that we were to see a piano concert that morning by Lio Kuok-Wai, a CL member from Macau who was staying with the Tobins. The concert proved to be one of the highlights of the vacation, as he moved some to tears with his beatific playing, mostly of Chopin. The concert was held at a small Lutheran church in town that was kind enough to let us use their space. As days progressed, we got to know him better — despite his humble, quiet manner, he was a well-known pianist in demand all over the world. He was searching for more meaning in his life and found communion in the CL movement.

A moment that stands out for me was a moment where there were three different witnesses by people who were affected by Fr. Giusanni’s life and work. Alessandro shared a photo of Giussani at his college in Italy, surrounded by students who were intent on listening to his every word. He said that the photo is in his living room, and it always draws the attention of every child who visits — they ask what is going on in the photo, as if they know that something profound is taking place.

Another memorable talk was by Derek Carlyle, a former heroin addict, who shared how his journey from childhood to where he is now could not have happened without prayer and the grace of God. His honesty, humility and bravery revealed a simple man who had been healed through the Cenacolo program. I realized that having a path in our day-to-day life can be as simple as setting aside time for prayer, and connecting with ourselves, each other and God.

Friday was the big hike to the top of a nearby mountain. It was a great way to get everyone moving towards the same goal, sharing a path that was at times rocky, and at times flowery. Little ones trudged along with their parents; men carried a grateful member up and down the hills in his specially made wheelchair. It was as if God had planted daisies and blueberries along the way as His gifts of nature and cooled everyone off with a fresh breeze. When everyone made it to the top, we were all rewarded with a wonderful view. We had our lunches, took photos, and sang joyfully. My daughter Lucy said that when another hiker going down the mountain told her “it’s hard but worth it,” it reminded her of the journey we make to heaven.

In the afternoon the younger kids, dressed as fairies and magical trees, put on a play, “The Selfish Giant,” derived from a short story by Oscar Wilde, Them Fr. Roberto organized friendly games between teams made up of kids and adults. The games included passing along slippery watermelons, slime and eggs, which ended up being smashed on each other! A little bit later, the kids had fun making ice cream.

After a good shower, everyone met again for one last evening of music from the amazing band. Jamie had a Happy Birthday, and funny skits that the teens and adults created were performed and watched.

My family really didn’t want to leave in the middle of such good fun, especially as the band was getting into “Barbara Ann” by The Beach Boys. But we were happy to have made new friends, gotten to know the community better and, as Pavel said, “left feeling more peaceful.” We are still carrying that peace with us now.

Heidi, Silver Spring, MD