Every few weeks approximately 30 to 50 students vanish from the halls of Saint Viator. They are gone for anywhere from two to five days, and the only thing they leave behind is a flyer on their lockers. When they return, they are never the same. Where do they go? That’s simple—a retreat!

Organized by Campus Ministry, Saint Viator offers 13 retreats throughout the year. Led by Mrs. Nancy Devroy, Br. John Eustice and students, every retreat has the same basic purpose: to proclaim Jesus Christ and his Gospel and to raise up the community where faith is loved, deepened and celebrated.

There’s a retreat for anyone at any time in the year. The first is the Campus Ministry Team retreat in August that kicks off the school year. It is a working retreat for the campus ministers where they partake in prayer and faith but focus mainly on strategy sessions and plans for the year.

The next retreat takes place in September and is mandatory for all incoming freshmen. It is the Freshman Retreat and it is led almost completely by upperclassmen. It has changed quite a bit over the past few years. Now, the freshman class is combined so they all take part in the retreat on the same day. The day starts with an energetic speaker and then transitions into games and small group discussions that focus on God’s presence in our lives.

Mrs. Devroy, who organized this year’s Freshman Retreat, said, “It’s a day for the freshmen to get to know more about each other and our Viatorian heritage.”

Another retreat offered to underclassmen is the Quest Retreat. It has been around for approximately 30 years and focuses on “the experience of myself, others, and God.” It is more active and features fun games with a purpose. It is geared towards freshmen, who participate, as well as sophomores, who can also lead.

“Quest is special because of the sophomore leaders,” said Mrs. Devroy. “Student leadership brings authenticity to the retreat.”

“Quest introduced me to new ways of finding my faith and connecting with God,” said junior Stephanie Bremner. “It introduced me to retreats and helped me strengthen my relationship with God.”

There are also two new retreats being offered. The Men’s Retreat is being organized by Br. Eustice, who hopes to lead it this year. It is available to junior and seniors. Its counterpart is the Women’s Retreat, which launched last year. Twelve junior and senior girls embarked on this retreat with the purpose of uncovering their Christian spirituality as young women.

One of the lesser-known retreats is the Bridges Retreat. Upperclassmen go with students from Cristo Rey High School in Waukegan. Traditionally, this retreat has been a time when the students from the two schools talk about racism, prejudice and discrimination. This year, however, it is changing into an immersion experience with a focus on immigration. Kids will work in a soup kitchen, meet families with stories about immigration and go to the Broadview Detention Center in Chicago to partake in an interfaith prayer vigil for immigrants undergoing deportation. Bridges is a much smaller retreat offered to upperclassmen that have been selected by Campus Ministers.

Here’s the retreat that almost everyone has heard of—Kairos. Its a four-day, three-night retreat offered primarily to seniors (juniors can go on the retreat when it is offered in the spring). Kairos literally means “God’s time” and has been in existence for about 40 years. According to Mrs. Devroy, Saint Viator’s Kairos retreats are different from others in the area because they are co-educational. It gives the students a chance to unplug: it is a tech-free zone, which enables students to focus on their interior lives.

“They are given quiet to hear God’s voice,” said Mrs. Devroy. “They are free from distractions that happen in a high school environment.”

“[Kairos] was a great experience, and I got to know people I didn’t know before,” said senior Tony Nagle.

Saint Viator’s retreats give students a chance to rest, recharge, meet new friends and try Cabrini Retreat Center’s great food. The next retreats coming up include a Kairos retreat from Nov. 22 through 25 and a Quest Retreat on Feb. 8 through 9. See Br. Eustice or Mrs. Devroy for more information if you are interested. Retreat forms are also available online at
http://www.saintviator.com/faithlife/campusministry.