Thirty-one SLUH juniors boarded a bus to the renowned White House retreat center at the end of the school day on Monday. With the coordinating help of science teacher Megan Menne, Director of Campus Ministry Matthew Stewart, S.J. and Principal Ian Gibbons, S.J., as well as the whole campus ministry staff, members of SLUH’s junior class went on their first retreat of the year. 

Students departed from SLUH at 3:30 in the afternoon to begin building community and strengthening their brotherhood at the retreat center, which is situated along the banks of the Mississippi River. 

“It’s beautiful. We’ve been going to White House for a long time,” said Stewart. 

A total of five teachers went on the trip, including Menne, math teacher Frank Corley, science teacher Chris Stahl, school counselor Ken McKenna, and social studies and theology teacher River Simpson.

The retreat was designed to take up three days and two nights, the main goal being to encourage students to engage in small group discussion, faculty talk, quiet time, prayer, and liturgy with both their peers and the faculty that joined them. 

“The retreat was a very enjoyable experience and it helped me grow brotherhood with many of my classmates. It also helped me reflect on how I need to grow as a person,” said junior Gavyn McClure, who attended the retreat. 

The retreatants returned to SLUH around 2:00 p.m. Wednesday.

“The environment of a retreat is so different from the environment in a classroom setting,” said Stewart. “When we are on retreat, there's this chance to really go inside and to connect with the people around you. Small groups and activities and meals tell us ‘Hey, we're gonna be together as a class, but not in the same way that we're together in our academic life.’”

The junior retreat has provided juniors with the opportunity to grow together, not only with their class but also with the faculty that surrounds them on an everyday basis. 

On the retreat the students and teachers were thrown into a casual setting, in which teachers weren’t above students, students weren’t worried about upcoming homework assignments or tests and all were simply children of God, striving towards a more fruitful relationship with God and the Catholic Church.

“You'll see that adult leaders and the teachers see the students in this different setting,” added Stewart. “It's really cool to really shift that and change that around so that we're more together on the same level as Christians, as opposed to the teacher-student power dynamic. I think it's a really cool experience for both teachers and students.”

“It made me look at God and his love in a new way and it helped strengthen my relationship with him,” said McClure.