Safe and Fun Media Resources for Catholic Retreats
The sheer importance of retreats has been highlighted for many of us Catholics throughout the pandemic, as we face a variety of new challenges it’s more important than ever to find connection to God. Catholic retreats offer followers a simple yet powerful way to regain that connection, and to come together in celebration of his glory and grace. Recent advancements in technology have allowed us to further enjoy and amplify these experiences through the use of safe and fun videos, songs, podcasts, and other media resources online.
If you’ve ever hosted a youth group before, you’ll know just how hard it is to find materials which abide by God’s message but are still fun for today’s youth. While there are resources out there which appear to be good, it can be hard to discern for what reason they may have been created. Instead we believe it’s important to find resources from reputable Catholic content creators, and have compiled some of our favorites to be used at your next Catholic school retreat.
Here are some safe and fun media resources which can be used to amplify your Catholic retreats.
Videos
One of the most effective ways of combining entertainment and education is in videos, and platforms like Youtube have made it easier than ever to find them. There are countless videos on Youtube which may be relevant to a Catholic school retreat, the following channels are the most relevant.
Ascension Presents
The Ascension Presents channel offers a wide-range of answers to common questions which come up as a practicing Catholic. With different presenters, their videos can offer insight in different forms, and they even have Sunday Replays which can’t be missed. Their Culture videos may be the most appropriate in recent times, with culture being such a hot topic in the last couple of years.
The Religious Hippie
Amber-Rose presents a traditional style of Catholicism with a modern flair which doesn’t take away from her very apparent connection to God. She tackles some more modern problems, such as which shows not to watch as a Catholic, and balances this with fun baking videos. The Religious Hippie may be more suitable to a Catholic school retreat for girls or mixed gender rather than for boys.
Audio
Modern audio doesn’t look too different from the audio that our grandparents enjoyed, with talkback hosts moving to podcasts and music moving to Youtube and Spotify. We’ve found that podcasts can be incredibly powerful during contemplation sessions, and make great background noise during more creative activities.
Catholic Stuff You Should Know
A podcast which came about from Pope Benedict XVI stating that new technology should be utilized for the New Evangelization, Catholic Stuff You Should Know is composed of exactly that. Hosted by regular Catholic priests rather than professional radio hosts, this is a great way to understand bigger concepts within Catholicism without feeling like you’re being lectured or talked down to. I’ve found these have quickly become part of my daily life, and they will be incredibly useful during a Catholic school retreat.
Catholic Bytes
Unlike Catholic Stuff You Should Know, Catholic Bytes has been made to condense information into bite=sized files to make them easier to digest on the go. This is a great podcast for beginning a discussion, as a concept can be explored in a matter of minutes but fleshed out in discussion over hours. Catholic Bytes would also be a suitable podcast to listen to while on a group walk or cycle as the pace is more suitable.
Music
There are so many great Catholic musicians out there these days, it can be hard to keep up. We recommend the following for your Catholic retreats:
Games and Activities for Catholic Retreats
Despite the serious nature of a Catholic school retreat, the children will need to have fun to make the experience more memorable to them. Games and activities are a great way of doing this, although one should avoid giving them any video games during the retreat.
Here are some websites which have suggestions for games and activities which would be suitable for your school:
Fun Catholic Ice Breakers
Ice breakers are a great way for your students to break that awkward silence and to start communicating more comfortably with each other.
100 Youth Group Games
This contains 100 games with Catholic themes which would perfectly suit your retreat, and are easy to play. Be sure to go through and select the games you’d like to try beforehand, and to prepare all the materials in advance to ensure maximum fun is had.
Catholic Retreats in Central Florida
If your looking to host Catholic Retreats in Central Florida, Orange Springs Retreat Center has hosted hundreds of retreats over its long history. Offering beautiful landscapes, group amenities and activities, we would love for you to worship with us. Learn more about us here or give us a call at 561-221-7773
