EYE, Episcopal Youth Event, is a triennial gathering and the largest gathering of Episcopal youth in the Episcopal Church. In mid-July, the Diocese of Atlanta sent a delegation of 16 youth and 4 adults to experience Oklahoma City and to learn different Pathways to Peace – the focus of EYE17. Hear first hand from Owen Snape on how impactful EYE was for him. 

Forever Remember
By Owen Snape, St. Catherine’s

EYE was one of the best weeks of my life. I had just gone to my first Happening a couple months prior, so I knew many of the youth attending. When we first arrived, I met others from Guam, Haiti, and many other states. It amazed me how far some people had come to this event, and it made me realize how special EYE really is. 

As the week progressed, it became obvious that everyone I met was so different and had their own stories to tell. The most memorable part of the week was during Oklahoma City day. We had traveled to different museums and the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial, enjoyed the Red Dirt Carnival and had all gathered back at the memorial for Compline. The whole service was so deep and full of love, and the place we were worshipping made the service even more special. I remember as the sermon started, I began to look around past the memorial. I saw the beautiful painted sunset behind a building, the lights on top of the skyscrapers, and then I looked up at the sky. I laid down on my back and gazed at the stars while listening to the incredible sermon. For some reason, that sky made me feel so small and insignificant, and it was humbling. Never before had I felt this sensation, and all along the ride back to campus, I thought about how I wanted to just lay there forever. I could feel God that night enveloping all of us with a starry, pitch black silhouette. I will forever remember how much love saturated the air during that special, special service.