From December 19 to 21, youth retreats titled “Following the Star” took place at the Malvern Retreat House. The retreats were organized on the initiative of the Youth Ministry of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia.
The retreats were held under the spiritual guidance of Fr. Ostap Mykytchyn, head of the Youth Ministry, in collaboration with his assistant, Deacon Ihor Demydas.
Fifteen young people from various parishes of the Archeparchy of Philadelphia took part in the retreats, along with several participants from the Stamford Eparchy. According to the organizers, this was a beautiful sign of unity and a shared spiritual journey among the youth.
The spiritual exercises began on Friday, December 19, with the prayer of Vespers. Each day of the retreat was permeated with prayer, and the Divine Liturgy was celebrated daily.
On Saturday, December 20, following the Divine Liturgy, the first conference was held on the theme: “How Jesus Comes into This World.” Reflecting on this topic, participants sought to deepen their understanding not only of the event of Christ’s Nativity, but also of how the Savior comes into the life of each person today.
A special moment of the day was Lectio Divina — the spiritual reading of Sacred Scripture — during which the youth reflected on a passage from the Gospel of Luke (2:1-20). The main focus of these reflections was the question of how different people received Christ — Caesar Augustus, Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the city of Bethlehem — and how we ourselves receive Him in our own lives.
In the evening, a prayer of praise took place, during which participants thanked God for the daily gifts, the graces received, and above all for the fact that the Lord came into this world to free humanity from sin.
On Sunday, December 21, after the morning Divine Liturgy, participants had a unique opportunity to pray before the first-class relics of Saint Carlo Acutis — one of the youngest saints and a figure especially close to today’s youth. His example of living faith and deep love for the Eucharist spoke profoundly to the hearts of the retreat participants.
Throughout the retreat, community life held an important place: games, sincere conversations, memories of childhood, and reflections on how each person experienced and celebrated Christmas in their family. The youth shared unique Christmas traditions and sang carols together.
Fr. Ostap and Deacon Ihor noted that the “Following the Star” retreat became for the youth a time of pause, prayer, and reflection—a chance to rediscover Christ, who comes quietly yet transforms lives. It was a time when each participant could not only hear God’s Word, but also allow it to touch their own heart.
