EleanorThibodeau

“Look over there! They are having a dance party!” “How was your service today?” “How was your hike earlier?” “Oh no! Don’t cry yet!” All these are things that have been said at or about a Marian retreat.

Though Mr. Zach Wulbert has been teaching at Marian for only two years, he has taken part in many retreats, through Campus Ministry. 

“Because retreats are meant to shake up your normal schedule and give you a chance to do something different, I think they are perfectly unique opportunities to build community,” Wulbert said. Marian holds retreats because they serve a purpose of community building, along with promoting our other core values. 

Freshman retreat is definitely one of the most anticipated events for the freshman class, partially because they go in knowing next to nothing about it. “After retreat I understand people more and know that they also feel scared or nervous and this made me less afraid of talking to people,” freshman Eleanor Campbell said.

Being nervous about freshman retreat is normal, but there are many people, like Campbell, who come out with more confidence in talking to their new peers, and a greater sense of community.

If you have not had the luxury of attending a retreat at Marian, one component of each is that you are placed into a group of people you would not normally hang out with. 

“We can encounter God indirectly by recognizing His presence in all our classmates, not just those within our normal circles,” Wulbert said. While trying to come closer to God, retreat participants also try to see God within the other members of their retreat group. 

Not only is each retreat made by how participants view the experience, and how they treat their group, but also by their leaders. “I feel like retreat brought me to the girls in my group, and my leaders too. I can go talk to my leaders even though I didn’t know them before,” sophomore London Pham said. 

Junior Retreat does not have a group leader, but freshman and sophomore and senior retreats do. These leaders put in their time for each person to have the best experience at retreat. 

“A lot of the personal impact and experience of each student is a direct result of the leaders’ preparation and planning,” Wulbert said.

A big component of each retreat is service, especially junior retreat because it is a full school day of service. 

“At the Open Door Mission I wasn’t just hearing about service, I was actually witnessing peoples’ real struggle and helping in a direct way,” junior Rachel Kenney said.  

A retreat provides a change in pace from “every day.” “When you engage with your community in a unique way, you come to realize what makes it special,” Wulbert said. 

The change from regular classes creates a different idea about Marian in the students’ minds. It makes girls know how different and special the whole Marian community is.