Launching into the deep at Duc In Altum
BELMONT — Nearly 80 young women attending the Duc In Altum discernment camp spent last week at Belmont Abbey College taking a dive deep into their Catholic faith and exploring the possibility of religious vocations.
This is the ninth year the Daughters of the Virgin Mother, a Gastonia-based apostolate that supports vocations in the diocese, hosted the camp.
Organizer Sister Mary Raphael said, “We hope all the girls get a resolute sense that they are daughters of God, daughters of the Father, daughters of the Church, and daughters of Our Lady, and that they have the tools they need to keep up that interior life.”
“Duc In Altum” means “launch into the deep” in Latin. The phrase is garnered from the Gospel of Luke, when Jesus instructed His disciples to cast in the deeper waters after a poor day of fishing. They obeyed, and caught more fish than the boat could carry.
At Duc In Altum, the young women spent their days doing a deep dive with discernment talks, silent prayer, daily Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, confessions and a visit to the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Peace Convent in Rutherford.
“Once they feel that little nudge in their heart from prayer, they will know what to do with that,” said Sister Mary Raphael. “They learn to reach out to a sister, ask questions, and talk to a priest, and how to deepen their prayer life so they can actually hear Our Lord’s voice.”
Realistically, not all the campers will decide to pursue religious life, and some already felt called not to, but the week-long pause to focus on God and spend time with the sisters and one another keeps some coming back.
The girls bonded through hikes, crafts, sports and water balloon fights.
Ava Shayeghi, a 19-year-old sophomore from Belmont Abbey College and a member of St. Ann Parish, has attended Duc In Altum each year since she was 15.
“This is such a beautiful opportunity to be with the sisters for a week and get to be with these beautiful girls who all love Jesus and are all striving for holiness. Every time I come, I am reminded of exactly why I keep coming back,” Shayeghi said, noting “all the tools they give us to pursue a life of holiness even when we leave. Now that I have reached the end of the program, I am reaping all the fruits from that and seeing everything come together and have that peace. I learned discernment isn’t scary. Going into this so young, it seems scary, but the sisters make this such a safe place to discern.”
The concluding Mass was presided over by Father Matthew Dimock, parochial vicar of Sacred Heart Parish in Salisbury, with newly ordained Deacon Maximilian Karl Frei assisting.
Father Dimock explained how Sister Mary Raphael helped him in his priestly ministry by introducing him to the concept of “Cor Ad Cor.”
“It is a theme from St. John Neumann that means ‘heart speaks to heart,’” said Father Dimock. “For your heart to speak to the heart of Our Lord is for you to share the most intimate parts of yourself with Him. To open up what your mind and heart ponders and give it up completely to the Lord Jesus Christ. That is the beginning of spiritual life: opening your heart to His and having that conversation.”
While many of the young women are unsure about religious life, they say they remain open to the possibility.
“You never know what God has planned for you unless you have a relationship with Him and unless you ask Him on a daily basis,” said Shayeghi. “Discernment is a process, but I am not afraid anymore.”
— Lisa M. Geraci. Photos by Troy C. Hull, Will Creter and provided
