Trinity Youth

Venture To South Dakota For Spiritual Pilgrimage

On Sunday, July 15, 12 youths and four adult chaperones from Trinity Episcopal Church set out for the Borderlands Ranch in the Black Hills of South Dakota on what would be the culmination of a four-year spiritual journey, including their confirmation by the bishop of the diocese of Connecticut in May and now a pilgrimage to this Native American Holy Land. The trip has been a part of the Trinity Youth J2A (Journey to Adulthood) program for many years now and adds spiritual richness and focus to the work camp mission experience of earlier this summer.

During the course of the weeklong spiritual journey, a part of the Lakota learning experience at the Borderlands Education & Spiritual Center, the youth participated in “Eucharist & Song” and other religious and contemplative events, star-gazed, and walked the outdoor labyrinth in the evenings, hiked three majestic and holy mountains and observed buffalo, elk, and prairie dogs in their natural habitat.

One pilgrim summed up his emotions and experiences in a poem reflecting back on the events of the week, including the visits to Pine Ridge Reservation, Wounded Knee, Mount Rushmore, Flag Mountain, Harney Peak, and Bear Butte.

Across the week the youth were awed by the grandeur and majesty of the Black Hills. Some commented on the holiness and sacredness of the mountains, saying it was so quiet that they could “hear God.” Others remarked about the prayer ties and crosses created by the many pilgrims and the opportunity to review the Readings of Black Elk, a First American Chief and Spiritual Leader of the Lakota Sioux Nation.

The adult chaperons were Pastor Kathie Adams-Shepherd, rector of Trinity; Pastor John Satula, assistant to the rector; and Ben Toby and Beth Thompson, teachers of the J2A class.

Pastors Kathie and John and the adult chaperons summed up the overall experience as “having a profound spiritual effect on an awesome group of youth.”

To learn more about the Trinity Youth Program, visit www.TrinityNewtownCT.org, call 203-426-9070, or check out the group’s Facebook page at Trinity Episcopal Church Newtown CT.