Quest is a retreat offered to freshman and sophomores every year, which requires weeks of unseen preparation. The overnight retreat takes six weeks to prepare and is organized by a hardworking team of student leaders and adult leaders, who are teachers or work in Campus Ministry.

“After weeks of training, the leaders become family,” said Mrs. Nancy Devroy, Campus Ministry Director.

Quest is offered twice this year on October 24-25 and April 5-6. Sophomores and juniors have the opportunity to lead Quest, which has been offered at Saint Viator and hosted at Cabrini Retreat Center for over 25 years.

“Quest is an active retreat where students develop relationships with others, themselves, and God,” said Mrs. Devroy. “There are places for everyone to help at Quest depending on where God is calling them.”

Leaders also receive service hours and develop leadership skills. To prepare for Quest, leaders sacrifice their time to strengthen their skills and plan the retreat.

“Leaders learn small group skills, pastoral skills, and time management,” said Mrs. Devroy.

“Public speaking is important,” said Ms. Emily Egan, Campus Minister. Leaders attend four to five, two hour long, team meetings after school, and leaders giving talks have two to three meetings with an adult mentor.

“I prepared for my talk, [which] took a long time,” said senior Annie Haubenreiser. Leaders also plan the retreat intending to give the participants a similar experience to when they went on the retreat.

“I liked it when I went on Quest, and I wanted to give back and make their retreat fun as well,” said junior Matthew Rapala. Everyone involved in Quest also may learn something he or she did not expect about others, himself or herself, and God.

“I grew closer to the people I was leading with, people I wouldn’t talk to before,” said Rapala. Leaders at Quest grow closer to their team of leaders and build relationships.

“[Planning Quest] changes your sensitivity to students. You see people’s vulnerabilities, and it reminds you to be kind at all times,” said Ms. Egan. Adult leaders on Quest get to see a different side to students than how they are in the classroom.

Weeks of work goes into preparing for Quest, and the retreat has a lasting effect on leaders, participants, and adults.