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| Guest speaker Tim Glemkowski inspires students in the Chapel. |
The Annual All-School Retreat was a day was filled with prayer, adoration, songs, speakers, and fellowship. The theme of the retreat, organized by Campus Minister Shannon Collyer and the Retreat Core Team was “Heaven is the Only Goal” with the motto “Run as So to Win.”
“We made t-shirts and ‘hastaged’ our sweatbands, it was so fun,” said senior Kaitlyn Anderson.
The day began with Mass in the Chapel with Father David Pivoka, the Director of Post Novitiate Formation at the TOR house in Washington, DC. His homily was engaging, and inspiring, “God does not see as man sees.” After Mass, students snacked on bagels and cinnamon buns and gathered in the gym for the opening session.
In the gym, an obstacle course was set up with an agility ladder, hula-hooping, basketball shooting, an Army crawl under ballet bars, and sprinting to the finish line. One student from each grade volunteered to participate in the race. Junior Ana White came in first place and won a $50 Toms gift card.
After the race the freshmen and sophomores went to the chapel to listen to guest speaker, Tim Glemkowski, Director of Youth Outreach at Lighthouse Catholic Media while the juniors stayed in the gym to hear from guest speaker, Theresa Young, Vice Principal of Dublin High School in Northern California.
"If you have given your heart to something other than God it is not too late to change it and make it better,” said Glemkowski.
Theresa’s challenged students to think about their “message to the world.” She reminded students that they are precious, valuable young women. Though the speakers gave different talks, their message theme was that “We all deserve respect from others, but we must respect ourselves first.”
After lunch, students prayed the rosary in the Chapel. The the day ended with adoration and confession in the gym. Joe White, and his band played music throughout adoration and Fr. Dave Pivonka led a guided meditation following the Eucharistic procession.
“The retreat was inspiring for all in attendance. It was a life-changing experience,” said senior Patricia Basil.
K. Holt '13