Vanessa Nicholas-Schmidt:

It has been a number of years since the back-to-school advertisements have caught my attention.  I remember as a student having butterflies in my stomach when I saw those ads – nervous about new teachers, excited about seeing friends, sad to see summer ending, looking forward to learning ... Well the butterflies are back!

As many of you know, I will be taking an eight month leave from my position as Faith Connections Program Director to pursue full time Theological Studies at Regis College, University of Toronto.

The Catholic Register has published a nice article about our upcoming Hike & Prayer at Edwards Gardens. Here's an excerpt:

Nature is God's greatest cathedral for those attending Hike & Prayer.

Run by Faith Connections, the young adult ministry of the Sisters of St. Joseph, the Hike & Prayer event allows young people an opportunity to engage their faith while being active. The hike, themed "Celebrating Summer," takes place Aug. 22 at Edwards Gardens in Toronto, and is open to young adults, ages 18-39.

"It appeals to young people because they can be outside and active with other young adults," said Vanessa Nicholas-Schmidt, program director at Faith Connections. "It's a comfortable social setting, and the prayer reflection and faith really deepen the whole afternoon."

You can read the full article here, or get the event details here!

Faith Connections is looking for volunteers to help out at our 2010/2011 events! Here are some of the opportunities:

We've posted a new prayer tool on Imagination in Prayer. This Augustinian method of using imagination in prayer asks us to bring the Biblical scene into our present time. St. Augustine of Hippo (today called Annaba, on the coast of Algeria) was a great Fifth Century African Doctor of the Church. He set up rules for community life. His mother was St. Monica who was highly influential in bringing Augustine back to practicing his faith. Two famous phrases he used were "I believe in order to understand" and "I understand, the better to believe".

Click here to learn more!

With the support of wonderful volunteers, Faith Connections’ Scripture Sound Bytes was launched in 2007. Scripture Sound Bytes (SSB) invites young adults (18-39 years) to gather each week to discover how the Sunday readings relate to their own lives. Hosted at St. Christopher’s parish in Mississauga, these gatherings offer opportunity for prayer, reflection, and social time for the young adults of the west end.

Coming up to its three year anniversary, Scripture Sound Bytes is excellently run by dedicated volunteers and supported by Fr. Scott Young, St. Christopher’s pastor. As such it has been decided that SSB will become “St. Christopher’s Scripture Sound Bytes.”

We've posted a new prayer tool on Imagination in Prayer. This Ignatian method of prayer asks us to place ourselves back in time into the Biblical scene. Use your senses to imagine what you might see, hear, feel, taste, and/or smell. St. Ignatius, founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuit Order), “encouraged people to develop an intimate relationship with God who loves them and desires the best for them.” It seeks to find the truth of our heart and not just the truth of facts.

Click here to learn more!

Over the last year, we as a Faith Connections community have had the opportunity to reflect on the importance of silence, stillness and solitude.  This theme was integrated into many of our initiatives including October’s Hike and Prayer on Toronto Island, our Theology on Tap talks in November and April, and the Lenten Listening Busy Persons' Retreat. As we enjoy the rejuvenating summer season, let us continue to integrate silence into our lives.

Redemptorist High School Retreat Team in Toronto – Seeking Young Adult Team Members!

Resumes are being accepted for those interested in joining the Redemptorist's High School Retreat Team in Toronto.  This is ideal for University students who have an interest in the faith development of high school students and who would like to be a mentor and model for our youth.

For more information, click here.

Our everyday experiences can expose us to new understanding and draw us closer to God. As a university student, Gregory Beath risked eating a food he had never tried before and was pleasantly surprised. He reflects on how this risk allowed him to connect with a culture, a people, and an individual’s struggle for livelihood in Canada…

How many times have you passed by an interesting-looking building and wished you could go inside?

On Saturday and Sunday, May 29th and 30th, the City of Toronto opened the doors to Toronto's architectural wonders! This annual event is called “Doors Open Toronto”. Faith Connections decided to make it a more meaningful event and organized a “Hike and Prayer” for the Saturday afternoon.