Calling All Saints Catholic Scout Retreat for Cub, Boy, and Girl Scouts in grades 1-12 Presented by Diocese of Phoenix Catholic Committee on Scouting BSA Heard Scout Pueblo Saturday, February 9, 2008 (Scout Sabbath)

Over 90 participants and staff answered God's call to attend the Diocese of Phoenix Catholic Committee on Scouting 2008 retreat, "Calling All Saints" at BSA Heard Scout Pueblo on Saturday February 9, 2008. The retreat for Cub, Boy, and Girl Scouts in grades 1-12 provided a spiritual message on how others answered God's call and concluded with the participants renewing their baptismal call to do God's work.

The day started with the flag raising by a group of east valley Boy Scouts working on the Ad Alteri Dei emblem, followed by Boy Scout, Girl Scout, and Cub Scout oaths. The participants then broke into age groups for the Day of Reflection (grades 1-5 and parents) and Scout Retreat (grades 6-12 and parents). The retreat consisted of six sessions and four activities. The sessions were titled Call to Witness, Call to Holiness, Call to Duty, Call to Stewardship, Calling all Saints, and Vocations.

Call to Witness was facilitated by Leota Rosch, diocesan liaison to the PhxDCCS. She walked the participants through: Defining Witness, how baptism calls you to witness, how emblems and award are a sign of witness, and how Mary and St. Timothy were called to witness.

Call to Holiness was facilitated by Steve Miller. The session covered: the Scouts personal relationship with Jesus, how holiness does not end after Mass, what does it mean to be holy, and how Ss. George and Agnes (patron saint of Boy Scout and Girl Scouts) showed their holiness.

Call to Duty was facilitated by Sharon Barr. Sharon discussed how she was called to duty when she was asked to make the vestments for Pope John Paul II when he visited Phoenix. She also talked about St. John Bosco and how he answered the call to duty.

Call to Stewardship was facilitated by Sr. Barbarann Webster. Sister discussed various individuals and how they used the gifts given at birth. Two of the examples included Ss. Francis and Clare.

Pati Coury facilitated discussion on Calling all Saints. Pati tied the other sessions together explaining what the Scouts should do to be a saint, how to pray to saints, and how Scouts are living icons.

For the final session, Vocations, the groups were split into boys and girls. The boys' talk was led by Fr. Greg Rice, who spent most of his priestly service in Pakistan, and the girls' talk was led by Sr. Barbarann Webster.

Between sessions, the Scouts hunted for information on saints, creating a poster of all the saints that attended the retreat, saintly bookmarks, and a banner that would be used as a backdrop for the closing Mass and ceremony.

The retreat concluded with a Mass, litany of saints - including those in attendance, and recognition ceremony.

View slide show put to gether by Retreat Coordinator, Nancy Welton.