Retreats
Every grade level at St. Francis DeSales is given a day to separate themselves from the rest of the school community and take time to reflect on their individuality, get to know their classmates on a deeper level, and have the time to explore their spirituality while receiving constant support and guidance. Days of Reflection are led by the Campus Ministry Team and student leaders. Each grade level concentrates on one specific theme taken from the Catholic Social Teaching of the Church. This theme is not only presented by way of retreat, but also within each academic area throughout the year. NOTE: All students are expected to attend these retreats.
Freshman Year - “Solidarity”
Freshman year is a time of transition and adjustment. St. Francis DeSales prides itself on the pillars of Faith, Family and Tradition. This day of reflection will happen in the first full month of school and serve as a way to join together as a class and begin to gain a deeper understanding of what our school is all about. This retreat will be lead by the Director of Campus Ministry, various freshman teachers, guidance counselors, support staff and members of the senior class.
Date: Friday, September 30th at St. Francis DeSales High School
Sophomore Year - “Life and Dignity of the Human Person”
Sophomore year, our focus will be geared toward celebrating our uniqueness and the gifts and talents that God has given to us to share with one another. This day of reflection will concentrate on who we are as individuals and how we should live our lives in a way that reflects respect for ourselves and all those we meet along our journey through life. This retreat will be off campus and lead by the Director of Campus Ministry, various sophomore teachers, guidance counselors, support staff and members of both the junior and senior class.
Date: Monday, November 14th at Heartland Retreat Center
Junior Year - “Option for the Poor and Vulnerable”
Junior year, our focus will be on our own responsibility as Christians to help out those who are less fortunate than we. The juniors will take on a “Mini-Urban Plunge” experience in which the Diocesan Office of Social Concerns, in collaboration with the Office of Campus Ministry, offers a unique opportunity for the students to immerse themselves in serving those in need in the greater Columbus area. Past Urban Plunges have sent students to St. Stephens Community Center, Community Kitchen at Holy Rosary/St. John, Divine Mercy and Meals on Wheels.
Dates: Thursday, March 22nd, Monday, March 26th, and Thursday, March 29th (1/3 of the class each day)
Senior Year – “Care for God’s Creation”
Senior year is a very special time in which the students will be engaged in various activities geared toward finishing out their high school career and preparing to go out into the world as young adults. The theme that we will focus on throughout this year is “Care for God’s Creation.” This means not only respect and care for our environment, but also leaving a legacy behind for all generations that will follow after us. How we chose to live now will undoubtedly affect all those that come after us and we at St. Francis DeSales believe that our seniors carry the torch for the younger students in the building in which provides leadership and tradition in which to build upon. We offer two choices for their retreat experience in which each student must chose one.
• Senior Kairos Retreat:
This program was brought here in 2000 and has become a rich tradition at St. Francis DeSales. The Kairos Retreat is spread over four days in which the seniors travel to St. Peter and Paul Retreat Center in Newark, Ohio where they truly “spend time with God.” This retreat is lead by a team of students and adults. The students are selected by the office of Campus Ministry as well as faculty and staff. Both the student and adult team receive extensive training prior to the retreat. Because of the tremendous response from both students and faculty, the Kairos Retreat is offered three times a year.
Dates: Tuesday, October 4th (after school) – Friday, October 7th
Tuesday, January 17th (after school) – Friday, January 20th
Tuesday, March 6th (after school) – Friday, March 9th
• Senior Leadership Retreat:
This day of reflection is a less intense but still very valuable experience in which the seniors will go out into the wilderness and experience God’s creation while learning about how they can be effective Christian leaders in the world. This will be a day-long retreat in the spring and lead by the Director of Campus Ministry as well as senior teachers and a leadership team at the retreat center.
Date: TBA
