Retreats 

What Retreats does O'Connell Offer? 

Paul Manetto ('26)

When asked what his definition of a retreat would be, Mr. Edward Fitzpatrick, a theology teacher and the Campus Ministry Director at Bishop O’Connell High School, said he believes, “A retreat is simply a time to step out of your normal everyday life and do something different. Since we are following the model of Jesus Christ, everyone of our retreats reflect in some way about how we can better interact with him.” As part of DJO’s Catholic Ministry, students are required to attend four retreats (one per year). Freshman, sophomores, and juniors are given options to perform their retreat during school hours, laid out across the school year. Seniors have a different way of gaining their retreat credit, as they are not offered an in school retreat, but must complete an overnight retreat, with options including Kairos, Bethany and Renew retreats. While a majority of O’Connell students will choose to partake in the in-school option, those retreats represent only the surface, with several other unique retreats also being offered.

Kairos:

Often bragged about as the highest level of O’Connell’s retreat selection, the details of what actually happens at Kairos are a closely kept secret. “Having certain things kept as secret only…enhance the student’s experience.” explained Joseph Frommelt, a Youth Apostle Missionary and frequent attendee of Kairos “God’s love can be surprising and the surprises on this retreat show how those encounter that love" he added. Relaying his opinions on Kairos, Frommelt stressed the importance of unplugging students from technology and social media, so that they could “reconnect with what really matters, our relationships with God, ourselves and others.” Unable to divulge the events which students who choose to go on Kairos experience, Mr. Fitzpatrick did say,  “The end goal of Kairos and every one of our retreats is to have a personal encounter with Jesus Christ. I think Kairos has become the most popular retreat for seniors because it has been the most successful in providing that encounter.” Available three times a year for Seniors and twice for juniors, those who choose to go often return to act as leadership advisors to the next group, aiming to provide them with the chance to deepen their relationship with the Trinity. 

FIAT

Offered exclusively to young women attending Bishop O’Connell, the FIAT retreat gives the opportunity to grow in faith in an all female environment. Run by Mrs. Victoria Lewis, a history teacher, the FIAT retreat is offered once a year to girls from every grade. When asked what the advantages of an all girls retreat are, Mrs. Lewis said, “There is an openness and vulnerability that comes in a space of all girls that is hard to find elsewhere. When girls are just with other girls, there is a sense of freedom to be authentic and honest about what you're struggling with and what your needs are” She also highlighted the fun that can be had in an all girls retreat, as they can“laugh together, play games together, sing together, pray together, and find ways to support each other.” While offering fun activities, like watching teachers karaoke to Party in the USA, the FIAT Retreat offers lots of different opportunities to try different ways to pray. Reflecting on this retreat, Mrs. Lewis added “we had lots of opportunities to try different ways to pray. One of the most beautiful things I witnessed was watching girls teaching other girls how to pray the rosary or suggesting their favorite prayer or book of the bible to each other.” Proud to offer girls a chance to deepen their faith, FIAT combines prayer and community to give a unique retreat experience.

Service

The point of FIAT and Kairos is to give students the opportunity to relax and focus on their relationship with God. However, a different type of retreat, one that offers a different way for students to connect with God, is also available through the service retreats provided by Bishop O'Connell. Offered for sophomores, juniors and seniors, O’Connell students are given the opportunity to live out their faith through service to others, both as a schoolwide field trip for Sophomores or a mission trip to Camden, NJ. for upperclassmen. The sophomore service retreat is done by students in a randomized group, taken from their English classes. Over the course of the day, the students do work at a variety of different locations, including St. Anthony of Padua’s Preschool, Food for the Hungry and The Father McKenna Center. For those who find this retreat fruitful, a four day immersive service retreat is also offered to Juniors and Seniors, taking them to Camden, New Jersey, one of the nation's poorest cities. When asked about the work done at Camden, Mr. Fitzpatrick said, “We do some work in the elementary school, At the homeless shelter in South Camden called Joseph’s house and then with an AA group called the last stop located in Camden and in Philadelphia, which is right across the river.” Asked why students should use service as part of their retreat experience, Mr. Fitzpatrick explained “Jesus commanded us to serve other people. Often times service is the way in which people come to know and understand their faith”.

“Retreats are crucial for our spiritual development," said Father Peter McShurley, the school chaplain ."They give us an opportunity to ask 'How do I respond to God's gift of my life? 'How do I grow in my relationship with Jesus Christ? 'How do I deal with the obstacles in my life that block my relationship with God or the practice of my faith."" "In the Scriptures we find Jesus going away to pray to spend time in conversation with The Father. Time away on Retreat gives us that space that we need in order to begin again the transformation that our Lord has in store for us.” Students would do well to take that to heart.