Faith

Usually the senior class has to wait until the end of the school year for their two-day retreat. This year was a little different for the Class of 2024. Teachers Anne Schratz and Michael Pater put together a mini-senior retreat that took place at the school on Friday September 22. 

 "We decided that the seniors would really benefit, and it would be nice for them to do something as a class in the fall," said Pater. 

To kick off the retreat, the senior class arrived at the school early for their senior sunrise. The students began to fill the parking lot around 7 a. m. to watch the sunrise together. The class provided the food, drinks, music, and games. 

 “I enjoyed the pretty sunrise, eating good food, and listening to music." said senior Vanessa Forster. “I really liked getting there early and hanging out with everyone.” 

After breakfast, the seniors joined together for Mass in the John Paull II Center with Father David Schmidt.  Afterward, he then gave a talk about his vocation story. Letter writing is a part of each retreat, and this time the seniors wrote to their parents.  As a team building exercise, the seniors tried to make a perfect square while blindfolded.  Retreat concluded with a special destination for lunch in the Highlands Plaza.

“I really enjoyed walking over to J&S for lunch as a class,” Forster said. 

By Meredith Zendarski '25 

The junior class visited Franciscan University on October 19 for their annual retreat. The retreat helps many students grow, not only in their faith, but also in their role as upperclassmen.  

Violet Hill '25 said the retreat helped her find more Catholic colleges to think about for higher education. "I learned that there are some very Catholic colleges, that I didn't realize were out there," she said.

The addition of the second day was beneficial because many enjoyed more time with classmates that they don't typically see during the school day. 

Janna Bloch '25 said,  "Normally when we have retreat, we cram all the activities into one day, and it just feels rushed. With the second day, we were able to spread out all the activities."

Many students liked the second day, and it helped the juniors grow closer together. 

Rachael Schumann '25 said, "I felt that the second day helped us to reflect on all the opportunities from the day before, and what we learned." 

By Kayla Black '26

The sophomore class visited Saint Vincent College on October 12 for their annual retreat. This retreat encouraged the students to embrace their faith by celebrating the sacraments together. Sophomore students got to know more about college life and what to expect if they wanted to attend Saint Vincent College in the future. 

The next day, the sophomores continued their retreat. This is a new addition, usually retreat only lasts one day. Teachers decided to add a second day to our retreat to really focus on bringing the class together to grow and bond.

Courtney Mentecki '26 said, "This retreat brought our class closer together, and helped us to grow in our faith."

In September, the freshman class went on a retreat to Saint Vincent College to grow in faith and friendship. Students met a monk, Brother  Jose, who told them about his educational experiences and how he became a monk. The college retreat team shared how to connect with God. 

“It was a nice religious getaway from class, ” said Sydney McKinzie '27. 

Students also visited the crypt, which is in the ground floor of the basilica.   There they took time to reflect, pray, and go to confession, growing closer to God. 

The college campus ministry team took time out of their day to lead small groups.  After lunch in the cafeteria, the class celebrated Mass before returning to St. Joe's.