The MSSP Oratory Youth held its annual ECHO Faith Camp between the 12th and 14th of September, drawing together over one hundred young people for a weekend of prayer, reflection, fellowship, and mission. ECHO, expressing both the community’s identity and mission, was this year led by the theme of Living in Unity.
This was the seventh faith camp organised by the youth community, remaining faithful to the initial title of the annual camp – ECHO – stemming from a song purposely written by members of the community. ECHO is an invitation not to keep God’s voice and words to oneself, but to allow it to resound, by shaping one’s lives and reaching out toward others. A message inviting others to open themselves more to faith, discovering God’s forgiveness and mercy, recognising one’s identity, and being made whole. All this leads one to share with others through actions, behaviour, friendships.
This year, the desire was to ECHO the value of community, and how living in unity with others, in different ways, enriches oneself and in turn the life of the immediate others who surround us. With meals prepared by the youths themselves assisted by the generous help of other members from the Oratory community, the camp kicked off in fellowship, a value central to the MOY community. The start to the weekend was one of welcoming new faces and bringing members together once again after the summer months. A key aspect of the whole weekend is prayer. Friday evening offered the opportunity to pause in stillness through praise and worship, adoration, imaginary prayer and confessions.
The theme of community was unveiled through the main input delivered by Fr Giovann Tabone on the following morning. His message focused on the challenge of building authentic friendships in a world that often encourages superficial connections. He proposed three qualities that make friendships real: positivity, consistency, and vulnerability: positivity in encouraging and uplifting one another; consistency by showing up not just once but again and again; vulnerability in daring to be honest and open, even when it feels risky. This message was not left in theory, as a time of silence allowed the youth to reflect on their own experiences of friendship, sustained by a time of small group discussion and sharing, where they were able to articulate their thoughts and emotions.
A different Saturday afternoon followed, where leisurely time at the beach helped the youths give flesh to the values spoken of during the first part of the day, in a different way. The time spent together, was a vivid reminder that friendship is lived not only in words or action, but also in moments where joy is mutually shared. As one participant put it, “I realised that community is built not just in prayer, but also when we are simply enjoying being together.”
The day culminated in the celebration of the Eucharist together with the wider Oratory community, providentially on the feast of the Exultation of the Cross. The liturgy highlighted that true unity does not come from our own efforts but from Christ, who transforms pain and division into life. In His Cross, love triumphs over separation. The full day ended with a lively barbecue, bringing in all the youth together, once again weaving faith with joy.
The camp came to a close by looking outward, inviting youth to see community not as an end in itself, but as a call to mission. The youth welcomed members from Sedqa and the Santa Marija Community, whose members are currently following a rehabilitation programme. Members generously shared their stories with all the participants and joined in the activities of the day. These moments of encounter were marked by honesty, respect, and friendship, breaking down barriers and creating new bonds of solidarity.
The Care-to-Care exercise that followed invited the youth to reflect concretely on how they could carry forward what they had received, not only for themselves but also for the good of others. It was a fitting conclusion to a weekend, from welcoming others, looking within and tending to others, through mission.
One final moment of prayer and thanksgiving brought the entire weekend to a close. Participants also voiced the gifts they were taking home: “I didn’t know I needed this silence until I was in it.” … “I found courage to say things I usually keep hidden.” … “This felt like home.” Such testimonies reveal that beyond the activities and inputs, ECHO 2025 created an experience of belonging, rooted in God’s love.
As the MSSP Oratory Youth look forward to the pastoral year ahead, the camp remains a milestone and a compass. ECHO 2025 was not only a gathering but a lived experience of unity: with God in prayer, with one another in friendship, and with others in mission. It was a vivid reminder that God’s voice is not meant to remain hidden but to ECHO through the lives of His people, in other words, through the words of the community’s theme song, ‘to make God’s glory resound, ECHO His praises far and wide; their voice goes out into the world, to ECHO His word, to the ends of the world.’