Sophomore Retreat.

One area of my work at SICP that hasn't received much attention on this blog is pastoral ministry. While I spend the better part of my time here in the classroom, I've also been helping out with student retreats. Most of the retreats at St. Ignatius are run by students for students, so my role as an adult team member is mainly to supervise and provide guidance when necessary - and, given my inexperience in this area, to learn something about how high school retreats are done. Tomorrow, I'll go into the 'field' for the first time when I join about ninety SICP sophomores, a team of about twenty student leaders and several other adult chaperones for Lux Vitae, an overnight retreat at Techny Towers Retreat Center north of Chicago. The Lux Vitae retreat is offered several times during the academic year and is mandatory for all sophomores at St. Ignatius. The students who go on this retreat are given a chance to reflect on areas of light and darkness in their own lives and to grow along with their peers in faith and in their understanding of interdependence and mutuality. The retreat includes a number of small- and large-group sharing sessions as well as Mass and the opportunity to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. After helping to plan this retreat over the past month, I'm looking forward to seeing it come to fruition over the next couple days. Your prayers for the retreatants and their leaders are most welcome. AMDG.