Junior retreat, all aboard!
It was Thursday, October 3rd, and a group of my classmates had assembled in front of the main office, ready to head off to our retreat at St Anselm’s in Tinton Falls.
When we first arrived, we were all directed to the theater for a brief prayer and an inspirational lecture from Mr. Butler. Feeling inspired and motivated, we watched the film “Free Solo.”
In the film, a mountain climber set out to be the first person to climb up a near-vertical mountain, ‘El Capitan’, without any ropes or harnesses.
I was on the edge of my seat that entire time, filled with anxiety, as invested in his results as he was. When he finally made it to the top, I relaxed, and we all took a moment to process the meaning of the film.
“Free Solo” was a perfect way to start the day, showing us all we can do anything that we set our minds to, no matter how big or small our goals may be.
After the movie was done, we were set into small groups of 6-10 people. Led by Seniors in the Christian Service and Guru programs, we were prompted with icebreakers and other thoughtful questions to help us grow as individuals.
This was a valuable experience as, although it is my 3rd year at CBA, I still don’t know everyone well, and I cherished the opportunity to get to know some of my classmates on a more personal level.
Following the group meetings, we returned to the theater to watch the movie “St. Vincent”. The movie follows Bill Murray’s, lonely, pessimistic character, and his new neighbors, a divorced woman and her son. She has to work overtime to support her son Oliver, leaving the grouchy Vincent to take care of him.
Each character learns from one another throughout the movie, and in the end, Oliver sees past Vincent’s faults, proclaiming him to be “St. Vincent of Sheepshead Bay”. This heartwarming film taught us that anyone can be a saint, and that is important to see the best in ourselves and in others.
After the opportunity to unwind in our lunch break, we went to mass in the main chapel. The Priest did an excellent job with mass, leaving us with the motivation to become leaders in our church, school, and community. At the end of mass, we went around the room and each said what we were thankful for, which was a nice way to end the day.
Overall, the retreat was impactful and worthwhile, and I enjoyed it thoroughly.
