Scecina Senior Retreats: ‘A beautiful, faith-filled experience’
KJ Fallon
By KJ Fallon, Director of Campus Ministry
Then the LORD said: Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD; the LORD will pass by. There was a strong and violent wind rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the LORD—but the LORD was not in the wind; after the wind, an earthquake—but the LORD was not in the earthquake; after the earthquake, fire—but the LORD was not in the fire; after the fire, a light silent sound. When he heard this, Elijah hid his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. – 1 Kings 11-13
Just like Elijah found God in the silence, Scecina’s Senior Retreats are an amazing opportunity to pause and see God. Retreats are a unique time to reconnect with God and to remember that God is always present in our lives. My own spirituality has been formed through retreats. Retreats often feel ordinary because, as Elijah experienced, God is found in quiet, ordinary moments.
However, this year was anything but ordinary. During this past April and May, the Class of 2021 journeyed to their Senior Retreat. This past year, we all were prevented to join in community. Out of love and safety, we retreated from each other, to keep one another safe from the coronavirus. This past spring, however, God allowed us to safely join and pray together, and what a wonderful moment we had to experience God.
Scecina seniors with a poster they made together at retreat.
Many journeyed with us, and I was blessed to have so much help from Scecina faculty and staff during retreat. When I asked Ben Potts, Scecina’s academic and testing project manager and retreat small-group volunteer, about his retreat experience, he said:
“It was truly a beautiful, grace-filled, and incredibly fun experience! Seeing kids being kids again after a long and hard year was wonderful. I don’t know how it could have been any better, and it was a privilege to learn from and minister to our amazing young people. They are simply the best!”
What happened on retreat? Well, much of what we experienced on retreat cannot leave retreat. However, I am humbled to have seen God move throughout the Senior Retreat. During this very tough year, God worked in amazing ways at retreat, and many (including myself) saw Jesus present. This year, it was tough to feel God’s presence. However, like Elijah, we know that in chaos God is one quiet moment away.
