In the woods behind Christ the King Seminary, dozens of young adults gather for prayer and reflection.

The diocesan Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministry will host a hiking retreat for young adults on Saturday, Oct. 8 through Sunday, Oct. 9 at Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora. The retreat will include peer witness talks, Mass, spiritual direction, small group discussions, board games, a bonfire and hiking opportunities.

The Seekers Retreat is designed to help those aged 18-39 to discover where God is calling them, help to deepen their prayer life and find others who share the same faith values. Participants will hear from others about their faith journeys, have opportunities to talk one-on-one with a spiritual director, and learn about Ignatian Spirituality as a way to meet Jesus in everyday life. All are welcome, from those who go to Mass daily to those who don't even know if God really exists.

Talks include "Knowing Ourselves at the Campus Center," "Naming What's Important/Values," "Suffering, Healing & Hope," and "Our Deepest Desires."

"It's specific to young adults. Everyone there is ages 18 to 39, so it's peers," said Sarah Leahy, ministry development coordinator for the diocesan Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministry. "The pillars of the retreat are these witness talks where people who are of this age and are struggling with these same questions in life and vocation and job hunting. These witness talks allow us to here other people's journeys. It's not the kind of retreat you go to and hear people with all the answers. We sit in the questions together and talk about who we see God work in our lives."

The diocese has partnered with Charis, a Chicago-based Jesuit organization that reaches out to young adults with Ignatian Spirituality, an invitation to encounter God in the real experiences of daily life. The Seekers retreat invites participants at all stages of a faith journey to take a look at their lives and see where God has been at work in their pasts, is working in the present, and is inviting them in the future.  Based on the First Principle and Foundation of St. Ignatius' Spiritual Exercises, this retreat introduces participants to the Ignatian Examen as a method of prayer for noticing God's daily presence and helping them to make decisions.

The overnight retreat, which begins Saturday, Oct. 8 at 8:30 a.m. and runs until 11:30 a.m., Sunday Oct. 9, is $50. A Saturday only option is $30.

Go to www.HaveFaithBuffalo.com for more information and to register.