Bayou Awakening

Bayou Awakening is a retreat for college-age young adults (18-25), led by young adults, that focuses on deepening your relationship with Christ. The retreat includes a series of talks, music, Confession, and Mass. There are also opportunities for small group discussions as well as personal prayer time. Join us for a great weekend of spiritual renewal!

Bayou Awakening #34 will take place on October 17-19 at Camp Kappe. 

Registration

Bayou Awakening History

The full name of the retreat is "Awakening Your Life to Christ," and it was developed by Fr. Sam Jacobs when he was chaplain at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana, in 1974. Jacobs (who later became a bishop), said, “As our staff looked at how to best reach college and college-age young adults, we felt we had to first provide them with a ‘conversion’ experience before a ‘catechesis’ experience. We modeled it after the Cursillo and the Search retreat, which the team was familiar with. We saw it as an evangelization moment.... We wanted them to experience the joy of the Christian life."

It has since spread to colleges and universities throughout the Southwest, including Texas A&M University (Aggie Awakening), University of Texas (Longhorn Awakening), Baylor (Bear Awakening) and Texas Tech (Raider Awakening). It's also been sponsored by the Diocese of Austin (LoneStar Awakening).

The Awakening retreats came to Houston in the spring of 2000 with Bearkat Awakening #1 at Sam Houston State University. From there, the effort was brought under the Office for Young Adult and Campus Ministry for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. The name chosen for the program was Bayou Awakening, referencing Houston as the “Bayou city.” 

For more information contact the Office of Young Adult and Campus Ministry at [email protected] or 713-741-8778.