The Class of 2015 will participate in the annual Freshmen Retreat on September 27th and 28th. The students of Cathedral’s Campus Ministry will lead the event.
The Freshmen Retreat will take place from 8:10 AM to 2:00 PM. Freshmen must report to their regular first class of the day before being dismissed to the chapel to begin retreat. According to Campus Ministry page of Cathedral’s website, freshmen are allowed to wear Spirit Dress during their retreat.
The school will provide lunch for the freshmen. Those attending on the 27th will have either Board & Brew or Pat & Oscars (to be decided). Those attending on the 28th will have Panera.
This year, Campus Ministry is incorporating an emphasis on finding a relationship with God involving the traditional Freshmen Retreat theme, “Let my gifts change the world.”
To Father Brian Kelly, Chaplain and Sacraments teacher, “Let my gifts change the world” means “to see where I, as a believer in God and the gift of his Son, Jesus, can look at the world through his eyes and see what needs to be changed.”
As a guiding religious voice on campus, Father Kelly recommends that freshman view the retreat experience as an opportunity to engage in conversation with Jesus.
“Freshmen are very busy now with schoolwork and other extracurricular activities,” he said. “One’s prayer life can easily slip into the background.”
In order to familiarize themselves with the freshmen they will be leading during the retreat, Campus Ministers practiced outreach on Tuesday, September 20. During the Light Group event, they visited freshman class Light Groups and played icebreaker games to create a mini-retreat experience. This was done in an effort to get the students comfortable for the upcoming retreat.
The Campus Ministers emphasize their desire to act as a light for freshmen.
Senior Campus Minister Karlyn Murphy said, “We want to be role models, someone they can turn to as a friend. Many are lost freshman year, and this is our first chance, as Campus Ministry, to be there for them.”
She reflected on her own Freshmen Retreat experience in 2008. She said, “My freshman year retreat was incredible. My Campus Minister became a great friend.”
Campus Ministers urge freshmen to prepare spiritually before attending the retreat. They encourage each freshman to reflect on his or her relationship with God and to pray for help in preparation. Students should also come prepared to ask any questions they may have for their respective Campus Ministers.
Karlyn said, “We want it to be fun, but we also want it to be a learning and growing experience, spiritually.”
“We’re hoping the freshmen will come out of this with a new found relationship with God or a strengthened current relationship,” she said. “Through that process, we hope they will find out more about Him and about themselves.”
Fr. Kelly encourages students to take the Freshmen Retreat seriously and be open to hearing Jesus’ voice.
He said, “I would recommend that they [freshmen] come to school on retreat day not approaching the retreat as a day off as much as a day to spend more time coming to know Jesus’ love for them.”