Types of Events: Annual Retreats | Fun Gatherings | Workshops | Service Projects
Annual Retreats (Pentecost Weekend)
🔥 2024 Family Retreat was held on Saturday, May 25th
At Pine Orchard Campsite, more updates will be posted.
2023 Family Retreat was held on Saturday, May 27th
Families on a mission and some new friends gathered at YMCA Cedar Glen Outdoor Centre during the Saturday of the Pentecost Weekend. We were blessed to have Fr. Raymond So to be our speaker and Mass celebrant, and also the couple Raymond and Cecilia with us that day.
Family retreat 2019
Theme: “Families on a mission (Ite Missa Est)”
June 8th at YMCA Cedar Glen
We’re very thankful that we had our first retreat in person, taking place at YMCA Cedar Glen (just a year before the pandemic!)
Group picture 2019
We later formed the family group “Families on a mission” with the 12 families attending this retreat.
During that day we explored the ideas on our family mission. Our guest speaker was Louisa Lai.
Outdoor activities include “The Sheep hears His voice”.
We also created arts in nature and enjoyed many fun games!
Virtual family retreat 2020
The pandemic affected our planning in 2020, nevertheless we were blessed to have Petrus and Irene Chan as our guest speakers.
Theme: “Identity, Relationship & Mission“
The retreat included
- Witness sharing
- Learning about our identity as God’s children vs. the performance mentality
- Our Father’s Love
- A small exercise on contemplative prayer
- Small group sharing
- etc.
In the afternoon we were also blessed to have Fr. Francis leading the families with a Holy Spirit prayer session to pray for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit into our families.
The retreat was preceded by Fr. Francis talk on May 2nd, on family as a domestic church and our roles as Priest, Prophet and King, and the audio recording is available for our families to listen again.
Virtual family retreat 2021
Theme: “Toward a Holy Spirit-filled Family”
The retreat included
- Family fun faith session (Parents & kids together)
- Witness sharing by Kelvin & Carmen
- Dads & Moms separate sharing session
- Songs, arts & crafts
- Children Rosary Prayer + Activities
Throughout the two days of exercises, we learned more about the Holy Spirit include the Spirit-filled saint St. Philip Neri (through storytelling), what is Pentecost and how are disciples filled with the Holy Spirit, and also the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit.
Family retreat 2022
In 2022 we can meet in person again! Together we learned more about the Holy Spirit and His gifts, and spent some good time together praising God and having fun with the children.
Past Family Events
Christmas celebration 2018 at Willowgrove
Group celebration with Christ-centric and fun activities.
See also: Caroling activity
Fall 2019 post-retreat gathering at Makerwiz
Families gathered again a few months after the first retreat to share more about writing the family mission statement.
Winter 2020 Families gathering at Gibson Centre
Easter 2021 Stations of the Cross (Virtual)
A beautiful prayer experience led by Maria C.
Fun Outdoor Event 2021 at Mary Lake
We attended Mass together, prayed the Rosary, had lunch and then played outdoor games :)
Fun Outdoor Event 2021 at Treetop Village
Faith Workshops
Link: Annual retreats
Brothers and Sisters participated in 2020 Spiritual gifts (Charisms) workshop
Speaker: Fr. Francis Ching
Date: Feb. 16, 2020
We invited brothers and sisters to participate in Fr. Francis Ching’s spiritual gifts workshop in Feb. 2020. We’re very grateful because he shortened the workshop to one day so parents can attend without being away from our children for too long.
Some participants later formed small groups to further explore and discern their potential gifts.
Individual discernment interviews were also available to seek spiritual advice from Fr. Francis Ching.
Click here for more information on spiritual gifts (charisms) discernment. The online self-study version is available here.
2020 Family talk
To Love as Jesus Loves in our Family
Speaker: Fr. Francis Ching
Date: May 2nd, 2020
Fr. Francis explained to us how our role in Christ includes our sharing of His office of Priest, Prophet and King in our family, and how it helps us nurture our children to be happy and resilient Christians in the face of challenges by demonstrating good examples and live a life of good balance.
2020 Marriage enrichment virtual event
Topic: “Be Frank but Gentle“
Date: Nov. 28, 2020
Speakers: CCMEA couples
2020 Spousal communication sharing
A Heartfelt Sharing
Mutual Communication for a Joy-filled Marriage
By Kelvin and Carmen Tsang
2020 Moms’ sharing/prayer session 2020
Shared by Flavia with a small group of moms who initially showed interest by signing up.
From it the members later formed the “Sisters in Mary” group with regular prayer and sharing gatherings.
2021 St. Joseph workshop for parents
Speaker: Fr. Francis Ching
Date: May 1st, 2021 (St. Joseph the Worker Feast Day)
2022 Virtual session on Accompaniment
Topic: Accompany our loved ones to come closer to God
Speaker: Fr. Francis Ching
Date: March 6, 2022
In Q&A format, parents (including spiritual parents) spent a casual afternoon with Fr. Francis to learn more about how to accompany our family members, spiritual children, and friends on their faith journey, and shared tips on how to lead them ever closer to God. (encouraged by Pope Francis in “Evangelii Gaudium” and also inspired by ministries such as FLL & CCO on accompaniment).
Other Virtual Gatherings
During the pandemic we switched to virtual meetings, and those included small group’s prayer meetings and Children’s Rosary Club, so we were able to stay in touch and also pray together regularly.
Service projects
Click on this link to view current and previous service projects.
* Please note that all pictures are very small resolution to protect families, children and people that we visit.