WISCONSIN DELLS — On Saturday morning, Feb. 7, a large conference room at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells was unusually quiet.

The space was full of teenagers, but there was an atmosphere of peace and reverence throughout.

It was 8 o’clock in the morning, and Mass was about to start.

The extraordinary reverence of the teens during the liturgy was only one beautiful moment out of many that took place on the weekend of February 6 to 8.

Frassati Fest is an annual event open to teens from throughout the Diocese of Madison. It usually occurs at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells and offers teens an opportunity to encounter Christ through the sacraments, talks and discussions, Adoration, friendship, and fun.

This year’s Frassati Fest was another successful retreat, with more than 300 teens attending. They arrived Friday night, participating in some games as well as a talk and discussion to start off the weekend.

On Saturday morning, Mass was the first event of the day. It was celebrated by Fr. Jared Holzhuter, the director of vocations for the Diocese of Madison.

He joked that if God’s calling you, “I’m the priest you try to avoid!”

Transitional Deacon Luis Reyes gave the homily at Mass, reflecting on the superabundant generosity of God.

“We have our God who shows His Heart . . . my prayer this morning is to truly, just as Solomon, be open to receive what we haven’t asked. And no one could have ever thought that we could ask for God Himself in the Eucharist, and we are about to receive [Him].”

After Mass and a hearty breakfast, the teens played games to get to know each other and then settled into the conference room again for the morning’s talks.

The morning keynote was given by seminarian Michael Hess, who focused on how to navigate life by “GPS: God’s Plan for my Salvation”.

Hess, quoting several verses from Jeremiah, emphasized the tremendous love of God for each unique person, how God has a deliberate, loving plan for each person’s life. He drew an analogy using the microphone in his hand.

“If I used this microphone as a soup spoon and I tried to scoop some soup, probably wouldn’t work that well, right? . . . The microphone has a very particular purpose, and when it’s used for that purpose, it’s fulfilled, just like the soup spoon is best when you scoop soup . . . Everything that has been created has been created for a purpose, so how much more important is it that each of us, who are human beings, made in the image and likeness of God the Almighty, we have a purpose. But because we’re so unique, each of us has a different purpose. And so it’s important, because God knows those plans, and He wants us. He wants the good for us. He wants us to prosper. He wants our good future.”

Hess’s talk continued with his GPS analogy, discussing the various roadblocks, navigation aids, and roadside assistance that can affect one’s spiritual journey and help a person discern the plan God has for them.

There are certain things that are essential for everyone — the truths of Sacred Scripture are like rules of the road that everyone needs to follow. But Hess also pointed out that each individual’s route to Heaven can be different — a GPS offers a lot of options for ways to get home.

“None of us are made the same, none of us have the same desires, but that’s where discernment comes in . . . the important part is that there is one destination, we know where we’re headed, and at the end of the day, God’s going to work with what we give Him. So God’s mercy is going to be the re-routing function.”

God’s guidance of each individual isn’t just for correcting mistakes, either.

“[St.] Pier Giorgio and [St.] Carlo Acutis both had very different lives, right? They had different paths in this journey to Heaven, but they both show the essence of Jesus’s commandments.”

After Hess’s talk and lunch, the teens set off to enjoy one of the big perks of the event’s location: Waterpark time!

The Kalahari’s massive indoor waterpark made for a nice change of pace from the Wisconsin February weather.

In the evening, they reconvened for Adoration and Confession.

This is a high point of the retreat, a prime opportunity to encounter God powerfully and be renewed by His Love.

And teens more than respond — Confession time had to be expanded to begin prior to Adoration this year, as past years have involved so many teens seeking out the sacrament that the time of Adoration simply wasn’t enough to hear all the Confessions.

These teens are eager to encounter Christ and be transformed by Him.

After Adoration, a dance party and parish discussion groups round out the evening.

Sunday morning features another talk, break-out sessions, and Mass celebrated by Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison before the teens depart to return home.

Any retreat runs the risk of being an awesome spiritual experience that then gets ignored when attendees go home.

One of the ways Frassati Fest combats this is by having teens attend as part of parish or pastorate groups.

While individuals can register as “Lost Sheep,” most teens come with others from their parish. This enables them to connect with other teens in their area and have an opportunity to form friendships that will support them as they return to living their faith in their daily lives.

The effort of the adult volunteers and staff who make this event happen — parish formation staff, diocesan staff, priests who come to hear Confessions, and many others — certainly pays off.

This year’s Frassati Fest was another fantastic occasion for teenagers in the Diocese of Madison to receive God’s tremendous grace and grow closer to Him.