In March, the Cana Mission in Brazil held a wonderful weekend event on the theme of “Cana Circus or the art of being a family”. Using circus life and its characters as a backdrop, participants were able to explore different aspects of married and family life.
How did this initiative originate?
The idea came from working on a few themes that could be used in communication to attract children and couples. The theme for the first weekend was “The Little Farm of Cana,” with lots of animals, rustic decorations, and teachings comparing life on a farm to married life. This year, we transformed our house into a circus to attract couples and families to a big show about God’s love!
The retreat began with a time of welcome, where families participated in games and photo sessions in a circus-themed setting. The teachings were moments of deep reflection, addressing God’s plan for the family as a work of art, and how sin and selfishness can damage that work. The second teaching focused on the art of being a family, highlighting the “10 breaches” that the enemy can use to try to destroy the family show. While the parents participated in workshops, the children also had their own activities: treasure hunts, bouncy castles, sports, etc. It was a wonderful opportunity for everyone to have fun and create good memories.
In addition to the traditional elements of a spiritual retreat—praise, prayer, sharing, teachings—couples participated in ‘Circus Workshops’ on married and family life.
In the Equilibrist workshop, couples reflected on how to balance their professional lives, their relationships, their family lives, their spiritual lives, their health, and more.
In the Clown workshop, they learned the importance of joy and good humour in everyday family life.
Finally, in the Magician’s workshop, they listened to the testimony of a couple facing a serious illness in their son, with doctors giving him only a few months to live. How they had to put all their hope in the God of miracles.
To end the day, we enjoyed a spectacular show with the whole family, featuring clowns, tightrope walkers, jugglers, Israeli dances, and family worship.
After the party, as it was time to go to bed, a little girl was crying in her bed:
‘Mummy, I don’t want to die.’
Surprised, her mother asked,
‘Why are you saying that, sweetheart?’
‘Because I want to keep having evenings like this.’
The mother sighed with relief and smiled with amusement:
Don’t worry, sweetie, we’ll have many more evenings like this. And even when we die, heaven will be one big party!’
The retreat ended with a moving celebration of the Eucharist, during which families were able to reflect on all they had experienced and learned. Despite the sadness of saying goodbye, the children already made plans to meet again for the next Cana retreat.
As for the parents, they were moved as they shared all the graces they had received in their marriages during the 24-hour retreat.
