Made for More: Freshman Retreat Brings Faith, Fellowship to the Class of 2029
Image courtesy of Isabel Fay.
By Alexandra Berrick
On the evening of Friday, September 5, hundreds of freshmen traveled to Sandy Hill Camp and Retreat Center in North East, Maryland, for the annual freshman retreat. The weekend was packed with worship, bonding, and recreational opportunities to bring the students closer to each other and to God.
Many students used the weekend to connect with their classmates: “I chose to go to freshman retreat to make some good memories with some new friends and just have a fun time,” said Magnus Maglente, a freshman electrical and computer engineering major.
The retreat offered ample opportunity for socialization, with outdoor games, canoeing, kayaking, a bonfire, and a dance. When asked what her favorite part of the retreat was, freshman Abby Marinari, a musical theatre major, responded, “the meals… it was nice to get to know, get to sit with other people.”
However, more than a mere weekend getaway, this retreat allowed new students to grow in their faith. “I’m hoping to gain [a] new understanding of my faith and the Lord,” said Sophia Franco, a freshman biology major, on why she chose to come to the freshman retreat. Many students sought to reconnect with God: “Every time I go on a retreat… It always reminds me that I can trust in God to support me at all times and I can always bring my struggles to him,” said John Williams, a freshman media and communication studies major.
In terms of the sacraments, the retreat consisted of two masses, Eucharistic Adoration, and confession. A total of four talks were presented by both campus ministry staff and by President Kilpatrick. Each talk was accompanied by a student minister’s faith testimony, and was followed by small group discussions. The overall message of each talk was related to the retreat’s theme: “Made for More,” which is inspired by Romans 12:2, reminding the students that they are made for more than the grind of their daily lives. They are made to be loved by God.
The heart of the retreat was, without a doubt, Adoration. Originally scheduled for one hour, the event went overtime. Students and staff alike could be seen kneeling, bowing, and raising their arms in reverence. The worship was guided by songs such as “Jesus Have It All” and “He Loves Us.” During the holy hour, many students chose to go to confession, for which there were fifteen available priests.
On the powerful experience of Adoration, freshman Jonah Fernandez, an architecture and civil engineering major, said, “the vibe of the environment was so powerful that it was… impressive… I’ve never felt anything like it, I’ve never been through anything like it.”
Fernandez gave a powerful testimony on the freshman retreat’s impact on his faith journey: “I wasn’t expecting all the people here to be so open… everyone is just very kind and very willing to… meet people that they haven’t seen before. And it’s a very cool environment. I am not a Catholic; I’ve never really been very religious. And this experience, I don’t know if I will be the same way after this… it’s definitely made me want to think about my faith more. There wasn’t anything to start with, but now, I don’t know. It’s opened my mind to what could be… especially during… Adoration.”
Overall, the freshman retreat was a successful weekend—and not just for freshman attendees Senior Anthony Graf, a musical theatre major and freshman ministry team member, put it best when asked what he enjoyed the most about leading freshmen: “Getting the opportunity to meet all this incoming freshman class, to get to know them in their lives, in their journeys, in what they’re excited for and what they’re maybe a little scared for. Just to see the future of Catholic University, and to see that it’s in such good hands.”
