A step away from daily life at CBA
As I walked through the brick pillars, underneath the wooden siding on the front of the building, I saw the large words on the side that read “Church of Saint Anselm.”
I had been here once before, but as a freshman. And with a new perspective, more maturity, and no mask on, I entered the building for my sophomore retreat.
We sat down in groups to eat a light breakfast and talk about the day to come. Everyone understood the basic way things were done, but every year something changes, and we were excited.
We walked through the narrow hallways until we were led into a large meeting room.
As one of the seniors that attended my specific retreat, TJ Meehan, began to speak, I was quite inspired by his words on “being a virtuous man for others.”
He continually discussed what it was, and is, like to be a man of the Academy. He brought up what it was like balancing academics, extracurriculars and many other things.
We broke out into smaller groups, with a senior moderator, to talk about what was just brought up by the speakers. We got to have a near one-on-one conversation with a senior who had been in our shoes before.
I found this very interesting. He talked about how his senior year was going, and what to expect in the coming weeks and months.
He gave me reassurance that I didn’t know I needed. When there is a lot going on, I tend to not take a step back and look at the big picture, but with his advice and the confidence he displayed, I was able to look forward to how I could make this year better for myself.
After our breakout groups, we entered back into the auditorium and were greeted by my theology teacher, Mr. Sewnig.
He shared a riveting story about trying to find a place and a purpose, and finding it in Morocco.
The story he shared that I found most inspiring for me boiled down to the fact that everyone seemed to care. He was teaching English to children that did not know how to speak, and not only did he seem to really care about his role, but the children seemed like they really wanted to learn.
We wrapped up the day with some spikeball outside in the parking lot, and had a very nice, informal mass in the chapel. We were asked to recall someone that we are grateful for, which also helped me take a step back, and further etched in the idea that this was indeed a retreat.
As we left on the bus, I realized that this not only was a retreat, but also a moment in which I actually grew as an individual.
