ECHO Faith Camp marks 10 years of faith, friendship and formation
The MSSP Oratory Youth community, celebrates a decade of bringing young adults together to explore faith and everyday life.
ECHO Faith Camp marked its tenth anniversary this year, bringing young adults together once again at the MSSP Oratory in Birkirkara for a weekend of prayer, formation and community.
Over the past 10 years, ECHO has become a regular part of the MSSP Oratory Youth journey. While each edition has had its own theme, the purpose has remained much the same. ECHO offers youths a space to step away from their normal routine, meet others, ask questions, pray together and explore how faith speaks into everyday life.
This year’s camp, held from 11th to 13th September, focused on the theme ‘Living His Word‘. Participants were invited to look at Scripture not simply as something to be read but as a Word that can shape relationships, choices, work and the ordinary experiences of life.
The weekend combined reflection on Scripture with prayer, practical workshops, conversation and time together. Different ways of engaging with the Word were explored, recognising that people encounter faith in different ways and that prayer needs to find a place within the reality of everyday life. These included drama, icons, art, music, imagination, emotions, journalling and the Ignatian way of praying with Scripture. Other sessions explored how faith can guide people in their working lives and help them respond to new opportunities and challenges, such as those brought by artificial intelligence.
Community has always been an important part of ECHO. Alongside the moments of prayer and formation, the weekend created space for friendships to grow and for participants simply to spend time together.
A long-standing ECHO tradition also continued with visits to elderly people in their homes. The visits offered a simple expression of this year’s theme and a reminder that living the Word can begin with something as ordinary as listening to another person and giving them one’s time.
The weekend concluded with the Eucharist, bringing together the prayer, reflection and friendships shared over the three days.
Ten years on, ECHO continues to offer youths a place where faith can be explored openly, shared with others and carried back into daily life.
Anyone aged 18 to 35 who would like to know more about MSSP Oratory Youth, meet the community and explore what its programme has to offer is warmly invited to follow @msspyouthmalta on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msspyouthmalta