Official Website of the
Catholic Diocese of Little Rock
EPJ weekend retreats return in November
Published: October 5, 2021
The diocesan Hispanic Ministry Office will host its Encuentros de Promoción Juvenil # 29 (Encounters of Youth Promotion) weekend for single, men and women ages 18-27 at St. John Catholic Center in Little Rock Nov. 11-14.
Encuentros de Promoción Juvenil (EPJ) is a Catholic movement for young adults to evangelize their peers to accept the Gospel, live their vocation and take on leadership roles in Christian groups in their communities. It is modeled after Cursillo and presented in Spanish.
To attend, register online, and mail the fee to the address provided to complete the registration. Or, download the registration form and mail it with the fee. The deadline to register is Oct. 14. The cost is $110 per person. A $35 deposit must be received by the deadline. The remaining $75 balance must be paid by Nov. 11.
In August, the EPJ leadership team held a retreat to prepare for EPJ #29. It was the first, in-person EPJ retreat in the Diocese of Little Rock since 2019. Last year many activities were canceled or held virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants in the upcoming retreat are required to wear a mask and vaccination is recommended.
EPJ's educational approach emphasizes human and spiritual development, group work, community prayer, Mass attendance, reflection and the sharing of experiences. EPJ announces and bears witness to Christ by rallying young people around the fundamental values of Christianity and helping them to mature in the faith.
The movement was founded by Father José Maria Pujadas Ferrer in Medellín, Colombia, in 1968. The Vatican's Pontifical Council for the Laity recognized EPJ as an international association of the faithful of Pontifical Right in 1996.
Today, the program is operating in several countries including the United States. An emproista is the name given to a person who has made an EJP weekend. Each year, emproistas celebrate Dec. 9 as International EPJ Day to honor the program's founder Father Pujadas, who died on Dec. 9, 1984.
For more information, visit the Encuentros Arkansas Facebook page or contact Sr. Ana Luisa Diaz Vazquez, MCP, associate director of Hispanic youth ministry, at (501) 664-0340, ext. 320.
