As many students know, Saint Viator hosts a multitude of retreats during the school year. Retreats are a great way to get involved with the larger school community, and they help students deepen their relationship with God.
On September 25th, Saint Viator hosted its first of seven retreats: the Sophomore retreat. Sophomores were encouraged to reflect and discover what role God will play in their lives. The second retreat of the year was on October 16th for the freshman class. Attendees participated in group prayer, games, and moderated discussions. Reviews by Freshmen attendees were mixed. “The retreat was nice, but I just wish that the school would promote more of the contents of the retreat specifically rather than the event in general, so students would know what to expect,” said Freshman Katherine Shannon. This begs the question of how Campus Ministry should approach advertising these retreats. “The communal prayer time experienced in the Freshman retreat was definitely the best part, since it is uncommon to get quiet prayer time during school hours,” said Freshman Violet Hoeger. Later this year, Freshmen and Sophomores will have the opportunity to attend the Quest retreat, where attendees will focus on who they are and what they want their growing relationship with Jesus to become.
The Kairos retreat for upperclassmen is another opportunity for Saint Viator students to learn more about God and themselves. “When staff surveys the graduating class of each year, they always ask two questions: What their best experience of the year was, which almost all seniors answer the Kairos retreat, and what their biggest regret of the year was. Most of the students that didn’t attend respond with not going to the Kairos retreat,” said Fr. John.
The last retreats of the year are the Junior retreat on January 15th and the Senior retreat. During these events, students will strengthen bonds with their fellow students through communal prayer. All of these departures from daily student life help Lions establish closer relationships with God and the church. They foster a deeper understanding of ourselves through prayer, discussion, worship, and community works.