As part of our commitment to faith and justice, all CRSM grade levels have a required retreat with their class every year. These retreats allow freshmen to become better acquainted, and gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be a CRSM student and a person to others. This is especially the case for the freshmen, as it is their first experience. This retreat takes place at the school on a Saturday during the first semester.
Freshmen students spend the day engaging in team-building activities with one another, exploring their faith, and learning about our CRSM mission and their place in it. Although it may sound like a chore to be required to come to school on a Saturday, the students end up gaining valuable lessons and experiences. In a reflection on their time at the retreat, one Freshman writes, “One thing I learned about during retreat is that life is a journey and not a destination, different types of friends bring out your true identity, & to care and have forgiveness to the world.”
Every year, upperclassmen are encouraged to volunteer to be retreat leaders. This gives them leadership opportunities, as well as a chance to get to pass their knowledge on to the freshmen class. This year 58 students volunteered their time and energy to lead the Freshmen Retreat. This involved three Saturday’s of training and then a full long day on the Saturday of the retreat.
“One thing that I enjoyed was when the seniors were telling their stories to us, and I loved it because they went through our same problems, and they gave us feedback on what we can do better throughout all the four years,” says another Freshman in their reflection.
The Freshman Retreat is the only class retreat that is held at the school. This allows the new class of students to become more familiar with the campus.
Upcoming and past retreats include a senior overnight retreat at Camp Duncan during the first semester of school, a junior overnight retreat at Camp Duncan early second semester, a sophomore retreat at the Greenbelt Cultural Center mid-second semester, and a final senior retreat at the Viatorian Center in Arlington Heights at the end of second semester.